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Fort Lewis College Athletics

Scoreboard

MadyBarela
Maureen Pasley, FLC Athletics
Freshman midfielder Madyson Barela holds off an Angelo State defender during Friday's season opener.
3
Winner Angelo St. ASU (1-0-0, 0-0-0)
0
Fort Lewis FLC (0-1-0, 0-0-0)
Winner
Angelo St. ASU
(1-0-0, 0-0-0)
3
Final
0
Fort Lewis FLC
(0-1-0, 0-0-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Angelo St. ASU 3 0 3
Fort Lewis FLC 0 0 0

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

FLC women's soccer falls 3-0 to Angelo State to open 2019 season

DURANGO, Colo. — The Fort Lewis College women's soccer team got its 2019 season underway Friday afternoon, hosting perennial national tournament participants Angelo State University at FLC Dirks Field.

Unfortunately for the Skyhawks, three first-half goals for the visiting Belles would hold up en route to a 3-0 loss for FLC.

Angelo State (1-0-0 overall) drew first blood in the 12th minute on a goal from Trenaday Scott. The two teams traded chances until the 33rd minute when freshman Valeria Solis was able to find some open space out wide and scored off a feed from Avery McNeme.

Off the kickoff, the Belles were again able to find Solis for a quick strike at the 33:07 mark.

"One of their midfielders (Solis) was overlapping wide as they were changing the point of attack. I think us over focusing on the ball, being compact in that midfield shape, allowed a deep lying midfielder to get around," said Fort Lewis head women's coach, Damian Clarke. "Understanding distance and where the ball is at, where your man is at, and the distance you can cover while the ball is being passed is what was learned in a very impactful way there. We'll fix that and we'll be a different team."

The two goals for Solis put the Skyhawks in a hole there were unable to climb out of, despite the shots being nearly even through the first 45 minutes with ASU holding a slim 5-4 advantage.

"That's a shock. You go from being in the game to 90 seconds later to feeling like 'Man, there's a mountain I'm not sure we can climb,'" Clarke said when asked about the impact of Angelo State's two quick strikes.
Fort Lewis tried to battle back, producing four shots on goal during the first 23 minutes of the second half from sophomore Skylar Byrnes (47:43), senior Courtney Wamboldt (57:02), senior Valerie Maestas (61:17) and sophomore Katie Smith (68:04) in succession.

Overall, the Skyhawks won the shots battle with the Belles, 12-11, but were limited to two corner kick opportunities and were unable to sneak one of their six shots on goal past ASU goalkeeper, Kira Miller.

"Obviously, it's encouraging if we're making things happen in the run of play. The issue being (today) we need to earn more set pieces," said Clarke about winning the total shots battle. "I think we have kids capable of physically win the ball in the air, so disappointed we didn't earn a few more corners, but I'm happy with the fact that we didn't give up a set piece."

In goal, junior Britt Blomso got the start and recorded a save in the first half, while freshman Katherine Dunbabin handled the second half duties and stopped both shots on goal she faced.

"I think both goalkeepers were under a lot of pressure. Britt, obviously, had to negotiation the most difficult part of the game and I thought that Katie came in the second half and was confident and competent, as well," Clarke said.

The Skyhawks had 20 players see time on Friday. With 12 new players on the roster for 2019, Clarke said the four preseason games will provide a chance for the team to build chemistry and sort out lineups as they approach RMAC action.

"I think when you're that deep, and you have options, it's going to take these first four games to figure what are the right relationships with the players we're asking to score goals," Clarke said. "They (players) are creating situations. But we've got to find a way to be sharper when we create them."

Fort Lewis will have a chance to get right back on this pitch again this weekend when the team welcomes in Midwestern State University (Texas). Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday at FLC Dirks Field.

"I think we're looking at another team that is very capable," Clarke said of Midwestern, a program he coached from 2014-17 before returning to Fort Lewis prior to the 2018 season. "There's always been a rivalry between Midwestern and Fort Lewis. It was always on the men's side. But, obviously, me going back and forth has created a little bit of a rivalry that will probably never die, as well. I think it'll be a game between two very capable teams that are still learning a little bit about themselves."
 
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