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Fort Lewis College Athletics

Scoreboard

Danielle Gonzales
Hayden Mangan, Fort Lewis Athletic Communications
Danielle Gonzales (14) played all 90 minutes in the season-opener
1
Winner Chaminade CHU (1-0-0, 0-0-0)
0
Fort Lewis FLC (0-1-0, 0-0-0)
Winner
Chaminade CHU
(1-0-0, 0-0-0)
1
Final
0
Fort Lewis FLC
(0-1-0, 0-0-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Chaminade CHU 1 0 1
Fort Lewis FLC 0 0 0

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | Angela Roberts, Assistant AD - Communications

Skyhawks blanked by Silverswords in season opener

DURANGO, Colo. – An early goal proved to be the difference as the Fort Lewis College women's soccer team dropped a 1-0 decision versus Chaminade University in the season opener.

Chaminade held a 15-6 advantage in shots, including a 9-5 edge in shots on goal. The Silverswords benefitted from six corner kicks while the Skyhawks were unable to find a set-piece opportunity.

Sophomore Aubrey Swindle led the offensive charge for Fort Lewis, tallying three shots on goal in 49 minutes of play. Sophomore Sabrina Reyes and freshman Clara Tallent each notched a shot on goal for the contest. Junior Katherine Dunbabin started the match between the pipes and earned four saves through 45 minutes of play. Sophomore Katlyn Rosenbaum assumed goalkeeper duties in the second half and registered four saves.

"We are disappointed with the result, but you can see what style of soccer we are trying to play and what we want to do on the field," said head coach Damian Clarke. "The young players are doing what we've asked. There are a lot of bright spots, and I think we saw that tonight. We have talented kids who put in good shifts, but it's our goal to figure out how to use them from here."

The opening minutes saw both sides getting comfortable in the unfavorable weather conditions that Durango offered in the evening hours. Chaminade saw its first look in the 12th minute when Ruby Burroughs connected at the top of the box, but a sprawling save from Dunababin preserved the early tie. The Silverswords would not be denied again, though, as Hoku Schatz challenged a trio of Skyhawks past midfield just 40 seconds later and booting her first goal of the season for a 1-0 advantage in the 13th minute.

Chaminade continued to maintain control of the ball throughout the opening half, picking up six additional shots as the clock ticked under five minutes. Swindle had something to say about the lack of offensive pressure, rattling off three shots on goal in a row to pressure the keeper as time expired on the opening frame.

"Swindle is just a terrifying athlete for opposing teams to deal with," acknowledged Clarke. "She is so strong and impressively fast, and she has technically grown since her freshman year. We expect her to continue being a dangerous player to deal with."

The opposition came out firing in the second half of play, giving Rosenbaum much to look forward to with three saves in the early going. Despite the defensive effort from the Skyhawks keeper, the offense could not find the footing to mirror the pressure on the opposite side of the field. Tallent saw the best opportunity of the half in the 72nd minute when she juked the defender to the left and sent a long, angled shot on goal. The ball looked to have enough space to tag the far-right corner of the goal, but luck was not on the side of the home squad as it narrowly missed wide to hold the score at 1-0.

Again, it was All-RMAC returner Swindle who provided the spark in the final minutes of play as Fort Lewis pulled out all of the stops in an effort to knot the contest. The sophomore showcased her pure athleticism, winning each foot race with the Chaminade defenders, but a pair of unfavorable bounces eliminated the threat as the home opener ended in a 1-0 decision.  

Fort Lewis (0-1) will be back on Dirks Field this Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. start versus Lubbock Christian (1-0). Lubbock Christian topped Western Colorado in the opener by a final score of 3-0. This will be the first meeting between the pair of schools since September 3, 2016, when LCU snagged a 1-0 shutout over Fort Lewis.

"When we look ahead to Saturday, the team is going to talk about being a little bit braver. We need to start looking for long passes to relieve that pressure, and we have to be capable of keeping the ball while recognizing when it is becoming more than we can handle," said Clarke. "We have to say collective and stay together, because we will suffer together but we will celebrate together, too."
 
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