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Fort Lewis College Athletics

Scoreboard

msoc
Angela Roberts, FLC Athletic Communications
3
UC-Colo. Springs UCCS (6-5-1, 2-3-0)
4
Winner Fort Lewis FLC (6-6-1, 3-3-0)
UC-Colo. Springs UCCS
(6-5-1, 2-3-0)
3
Final
4
Fort Lewis FLC
(6-6-1, 3-3-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UC-Colo. Springs UCCS 2 1 3
Fort Lewis FLC 2 2 4

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Angela Roberts, Athletic Communications Assistant

Late Goal From Duenes Propels Skyhawks Men's Soccer to a 4-3 Win Over UCCS

DURANGO, Colo. – A late goal from freshman Tomas Duenes lifted the Fort Lewis College men's soccer team to an exhilarating 4-3 win over the University of Colorado Colorado Springs on Sunday in front of an electric crowd at Dirks Field. The Skyhawks improve to 6-6-1 overall and 3-3-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference while Mountain Lions move to 6-5-1 on the year and 2-3-0 in conference play.

Fort Lewis held a 15-10 advantage in shots and a 7-3 shots on goal edge. The game was physical from the jump with the teams totaling 26 fouls throughout. The Skyhawks had four players tally goals with junior Denis Celik leading things off with his first goal of the season. Sophomore Matt Baldridge and senior Brantley Bice each scored their third goals of the season, and the game winner from Duenes was the freshman's fifth of the year.

"Today's game wasn't the prettiest at times," said head coach David Oberholtzer. "Regardless, this game was super gutsy and our guys continued to stay focused on their jobs. The players never had any quit in them, all the way to the end, and kept pushing which was really exciting."

Duenes had the first good look of the match after a corner kick set up a play inside the box in the 11th minute. Duenes directed the ball with his head, but the attempt found the hands of the opposing keeper. UCCS found the game's first goal in the 25th minute off a shot that snuck past junior Peter Byrnes at a tight angle. FLC wasted little time answering back, getting a goal in the 28th minute to tie the score 1-1. Celik was the goal scorer on the play, collecting a deflected shot from freshman Gabriel Legendre and finding the keeper out of position.

The Mountain Lions went up 2-1 in the in the 32nd minute after a corner kick set up a scoring opportunity. The corner found the head of Nic Grotle who pushed the ball within two yards of the net, waiting for the pass was Kolby Raineri who mimicked the header and sent the ball top right. Much like how the opening scoring moments played out, the Skyhawks found the tying goal in the 42nd minute off a deflected shot from senior Alejandro Arribas. Baldridge was quick on his feet to pop the deflection past the scrambling keeper, sending the game into the break tied 2-2.

The scoring carried over into the second period as a UCCS penalty kick resulted in a goal for the visitors, bringing the score to 3-2 in the 51st minute. The Mountain Lions held on to the advantage through the late minutes of the half, but the FLC faithful could sense a mounting comeback. Bice answered the call in the 82nd minute after lining up for a free kick at the top of the box. UCCS sent five players to form a wall in front of the senior, but a veteran shot caught the keeper on his heels with the ball finding the back of the net to his right.

With the scored tied at three's and time winding down, the Skyhawks could sense that a player was going to step up in the big moment. That player would be Duenes. The freshman settled a scramble just outside the box and took his shot when he saw an opening. The ball found space to the right of both the defender and keeper, giving FLC a 4-3 advantage in the 86th minute, sending the home team sprinted to celebrate in front of their home crowd. The Mountain Lions picked up one more shot in the game's final minute, but an FLC clear ran the clock out on an inspired 4-3 home win.

"The atmosphere at Dirks Field is incredible and really played into today's win. From the alumni to the parents to the students, it makes for a fantastic environment," Oberholtzer acknowledged. "The guys love to play in front of our dedicated fans, so to have the game end how it did was a cool experience for the kids and those fans who come out to support."

Fort Lewis (6-6-1, 3-3-0 RMAC) will travel to face Adams State University (1-11, 0-5 RMAC) for a mid-week RMAC showdown on Wednesday, October 20 for a 3:00 p.m. first kick. The teams faced early in the year with the Skyhawks coming out on top, 2-0. 
 
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