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David Citron at #7 CSU Pueblo
Gabby Gareau
David Citron (7) makes a pass against the ThunderWolves at Art and Lorraine Gonzales Stadium (Oct. 20, 2024)

No. 13 Skyhawks to close out road schedule against Orediggers and Roadrunners

10/23/2024 1:00:00 PM

By: Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement
No. 13 Fort Lewis at Colorado School of Mines
Thursday, Oct. 24, 6 p.m. | Stermole Soccer Stadium | Golden, Colo.
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets
 
No. 13 Fort Lewis at MSU Denver
Sunday, Oct. 27, 12 p.m. | Assembly Athletic Complex | Denver, Colo.
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DURANGO, Colo. – With the first half of its Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schedule in the books, no. 13-ranked Fort Lewis (7-1-5, 3-1-1 RMAC) will head back to the Front Range for the second time in as many weeks for its final two regular-season road trips to Colorado School of Mines (3-9-2, 2-2-2 RMAC) and MSU Denver (5-6-3, 2-2-2 RMAC) for a Thursday/Sunday split.
 
Back in the Polls
Last week, the Skyhawks went on the road and picked up a pair of top 10 wins with a 3-1 decision over then no. 4-ranked UCCS (10-1-2, 3-1-1 RMAC) and a shutout over then no. 7-ranked CSU Pueblo (9-3-1, 4-1 RMAC) on both squad's home turf. With the victories, the Skyhawks shot back up the charts of the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll to no. 13 after falling out of the poll and receiving votes last week. This week's edition marks the tenth time FLC has appeared on the USC poll since last season. Additionally, Fort Lewis was ranked second in the south-central region behind UCCS and ahead of St. Mary's (9-2-2, 5-0 LSC), who the Skyhawks downed 1-0 up on Dirks Field back on Sep. 11.
 
RMAC Players of the Week
Senior defender Jakob Larson and junior goalkeeper Aidan Hartman were named the Week Seven RMAC Defensive Player and Goalkeeper of the Week for their efforts in lifting Fort Lewis to a pair of wins last week. Larson captained a backline that allowed just one goal across 27 total shots, including seven shots on goal and 14 corner kicks, while also registering the game-winning goal at CSUP with a header off a corner just sixteen minutes into the match. Hartman, on the other hand, made his season debut last Thursday and picked up his first two victories as a Skyhawk, both against top 10 opponents, while making six total saves across the week and also earning his first clean sheet. The weekly awards are the first of each of their respective careers and the third and fourth earned by a Skyhawk this season.
 
Conference Standings
Fort Lewis currently stands even with UCCS in third on the conference leaderboards with ten total points and a head-to-head edge over the Mountain Lions with last week's win. CSU Pueblo resides in second with 12 total points, while Regis (6-2-6, 5-0-1 RMAC) stands above the crowd with 16 points and an unbeaten conference record. Colorado School of Mines and MSU Denver round out the current six teams that would qualify for the 2024 RMAC Tournament with eight points each. In conference play, three points are awarded for a win, one point for a tie, and zero for a loss.
 
Scouting the Orediggers
Colorado School of Mines enters the week on a high note after shutting out South Dakota Mines (1-10-2, 1-3-1 RMAC) 1-0 last week. The Orediggers have yet to lose in its last four outings and have scored seven goals over the same stretch. As a unit, CSM is averaging 0.93 goals per game on 10.4 shots with a 34.2 percent shots-on-goal percentage while surrendering 1.93 goals against average on 14.4 shots per game.
 
Ayman Bushara, the reigning Week Seven RMAC Offensive Player of the Week, headlines the Orediggers with five goals and two assists for 12 points this season. Gabriel Rodriguez and Quin Collins are the only other multi-goal scorers, with four and two on the year, respectively. In total, five players have found the back of the net, while nine have supplied assists. Caden Allaire and Peter Saunders have each made seven starts and played in eight matches, with Allaire owning a 2.29 goals-against average and Saunders a 1.57 goals-against average. Saunders, however, owns the edge between the two with 37 saves and a 77.1 percent save percentage against 97 shots.
 
Scouting the Roadrunners
MSU Denver will be looking to get back on track this week following a 1-0 loss to Regis last Sunday. Before the defeat, the Roadrunners had won back-to-back matches 2-0 and 2-1 over Colorado Mesa (4-6-2, 1-3-1 RMAC) and South Dakota Mines, respectively. 13 different Roadrunners have registered a point this season with nine individual goal scorers led by Luke Bone's three alongside two assists for eight points. Behind Bone, Dallas Baer, Nicco Schiappa, and Charlie Matsumoto have each scored two goals as well.
 
MSUD is scoring 1.07 goals per game while narrowly allowing 1.21 goals per game. The offense is firing off 11.5 shots with a 41.0 percent shots-on-goal percentage, while the defense has allowed 10.8 shots per game with a 44.4 percent shots-on-goal percentage. The Roadrunners have stuck with Nick McNeil in goal all year, with the junior allowing 17 goals while making 49 saves for a 74.2 percent save percentage against 152 shots. In addition, McNeil has posted five shutouts.
 
Looking Ahead
Fort Lewis will close out its 2024 regular season schedule at home with three consecutive matches against Westminster (4-4-5, 0-2-3 RMAC) for a Blue-Out match on Nov. 1 at 6 p.m., Colorado Mesa on Nov. 3 at 1 p.m., and Adams State (2-7-2, 0-4-1 RMAC) for Senior Night on Nov. 6, at 6 p.m.
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