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Fort Lewis College Athletics

Scoreboard

Loic Jean-Baptiste 11.7
Maureen Pasley, FLC Athletics
Loic Jean-Baptiste scored the lone goal in FLC's 1-0 victory over Colorado Mesa on Thursday (File photo).
1
Winner Fort Lewis FLC (11-4-4, 7-4-2)
0
Colorado Mesa CMU (10-5-3, 8-3-3)
Winner
Fort Lewis FLC
(11-4-4, 7-4-2)
1
Final
0
Colorado Mesa CMU
(10-5-3, 8-3-3)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Fort Lewis FLC 1 0 1
Colorado Mesa CMU 0 0 0

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | David Wilson, Assistant AD-Communications

No. 6 seed Skyhawks knock off No. 3 Colorado Mesa to advance to RMAC semi-final

GRAND JUNCTION, Colorado — There would be no ties Thursday when the Fort Lewis College men's soccer team traveled out to face rivals Colorado Mesa University in the quarterfinals of the RMAC Tournament.

After the two teams played each other to a draw in each of their previous two meetings during the regular season, the No. 7 seed Skyhawks upended the No. 3 seed Mavericks by a 1-0 final Thursday, courtesy of the fourth game-winning goal this season from redshirt sophomore Loic Jean-Baptiste.

"Obviously, we're flying high right now. At this time of the year, when you lose and your season is over or you win and get to keep playing, we want to be playing as long as we can," said Fort Lewis head men's soccer coach David Oberholtzer. "With the two draws against Mesa earlier this year, we knew there wouldn't be a draw (Thursday) and we didn't want to be on the wrong end of it. I don't think we played our best soccer by any means. I thought Mesa was the better team tonight in terms of the soccer performance. But we were gritty, we were gutsy and found a way to win."

Fort Lewis (11-4-4 overall) struck pay dirt in the 30th minute when Jean-Baptiste capitalize on a turnover by Colorado Mesa (10-5-3 overall) and snuck the Skyhawks' lone shot on goal Thursday past CMU goalkeeper Brendan Brown.

It was the team-leading seventh goal of the season for Jean-Baptiste, who earlier on Thursday was named First-Team All-RMAC.

"Even on a day like today where we don't necessarily play our best soccer, we still have enough dangerous attacking players where we feel like we can score a goal at any moment. Loic is one of those players," Oberholtzer said. "We know we have the ability to be dangerous. And on a huge stage like this, playing knockout soccer, that's a huge goal from Loic. He's so composed and doesn't seem to be rattled by the situation. He just continues to be really steady and dangerous for us."

For Lewis then leaned on its defense, spearheaded by freshmen Ruben Neubauer and Milen Manchev, sophomores AJ Haskell and Riley Shea, and seniors Ty Lang and Marshall Metzger.

The Mavericks spent much of the final 60 minutes in the Skyhawks' defensive side of the field, peppering a total of 24 shots toward the FLC goal.

However, only seven of those 24 shots by Colorado Mesa ever landed on goal, where they died in the waiting arms of redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Peter Byrne, who was named All-RMAC Honorable Mention earlier on Thursday.

"We were in our end defending more than we'd have like to, but I thought we still kept our lines really tight and didn't give up many good looks," Oberholtzer said. "Of all the shots Mesa had, I don't know how many of them were actually good looks on goal that were too threatening. Our back line was tough, resilient and everything we've talked about all year. They were able to step up and have a great collective effort tonight."

The Skyhawks will enjoy their bus ride back to Durango before turning the page and focusing on Sunday's semi-finals matchup against Regis University, scheduled for 1 p.m. up in Denver.

Regis defeated Fort Lewis by a 1-0 final when the two teams faced each other in the regular season back on October 13.

"The guys are enjoying themselves right now, but in the back of our minds we know Regis is there on Sunday," Oberholtzer said. "We'll start putting a little more focus on them (Saturday) when we get in the office and start preparing for Sunday."
 
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