Rosenbaum, Salazar send women's soccer to RMAC Semifinal in penalty kick shootout

Fort Lewis FLC (9-5-5, 5-4-3)

Colorado Mesa CMU (13-2-3, 11-1-0)

Fort Lewis FLC

(9-5-5, 5-4-3)

Final

Nov. 11, 2024

Colorado Mesa CMU

(13-2-3, 11-1-0)

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	OT1	OT2	SO	F
Fort Lewis FLC	0	0	0	0	0	0
Colorado Mesa CMU	0	0	0	0	0	0

Summary
Box Score

Chris Day, CMU Athletics

Fifth-yerar goalkeeper Katlyn Rosenbaum had four saves the penalty kick round to give her team the chance to advance the the RMAC Tournament Semifinals

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | 11/11/2024 9:00:00 PM | Angela Roberts, Associate AD-Communications

Rosenbaum, Salazar send women's soccer to RMAC Semifinal in penalty kick shootout

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – After 110 minutes of scoreless postseason soccer, the Fort Lewis College women's soccer team advanced to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament Semifinals in an 8-7 penalty kick shootout over No. 18-ranked and No. 2-seeded Colorado Mesa University, aided by four PK saves from fifth-year goalkeeper Katlyn Rosenbaum and the eventual shootout winner in the 11^th round by sophomore Jenna Salazar.

"I can't say enough about this team. They are desperate to play another game with each other," said head coach Damian Clarke. "Defensively, we have grown into a really difficult team to break. McKenna Ford and Danielle Gonzales were physically in wars tonight and won some fierce battles. I can't say enough about the nerve of the shooters, and what Katlyn [Rosenbaum] did tonight was miraculous. We got a little tougher and are looking forward to what's next."

Fort Lewis advances to face No. 3-seeded MSU Denver on Thursday in the semifinal round from the campus of Colorado School of Mines. The Skyhawks will carry a 9-5-5 record into Thursday's meeting. The Roadrunners are coming off a narrow 2-1 victory over No. 6-seeded Westminster University on Sunday and carry a 10-3-6 record.

Colorado Mesa outshot Fort Lewis 19-5 on the night, including a 7-2 edge in shots on goal. The Mavericks also held an advantage in corner kicks at 9-1. The teams combined for 21 fouls, 13 of which were called against Colorado Mesa.

There aren't enough words to describe the effort of the Fort Lewis defenders in the scoreless draw, including five players who played the entire 110 minutes. The group of fifth-year McKenna Ford, seniors Danielle Gonzales, Sabrina Reyes, and Gabi Meraz-Fishbein, and sophomore Amber Otts were outstanding against the high-powered offense of the Mavericks. Also part of the elite defensive unit was junior Rachel Peebles who played 107 minutes after leaving the field briefly with injury. Fifth-year goalkeeper Riley Bravin started the match and made five saves in her 45 minutes of work, followed by Rosenbaum who had two in the second half and two overtime periods to go along with four saves in the penalty kick round.

The Mavericks were the first to register a shot on goal after Sauvelyn Randel put one into the belly of Bravin in the fourth minute. Colorado Mesa had another chance a minute later, but Bravin met the crashing forward outside of the box to clear the ball. The Skyhawks had their first good look in the 13^th minute when Stafford sent a pass into the box for Coulter, but Coulter was called offside to wipe the threat. Colorado Mesa had another opportunity with Randel seemingly one-on-one just outside of the box, but an incredible hustle play by Ford knocked the ball away.

Ford continued to work on the defensive side of the ball and clipped a shot by the Mavericks inside the box to give Bravin an easy save midway through the half. Her hustle was called against her in the 23^rd minute when a collision resulted in a free kick six yards out of the box. The free kick sailed well high of goal to maintain the 0-0 score. Bravin extended the scoreless streak with a huge save in the 31^st minute after Randel found space just in front of the goal. The fifth-year keeper extended her leg after diving the wrong direction and added a kick save to her stat line.

Stafford placed the team's first shot on goal in the 41^st minute which resulted in a save for Keely Wieczorek in goal. The Mavericks were called for a foul in the final minute of the half to run the clock out on a scoreless tie. Colorado Mesa held an 8-1 edge in shots and a 5-1 advantage in shots on goal for the half and were called for six fouls.

The teams played even out of the intermission with the Fort Lewis midfield and defensive lines doing an excellent job and holding possession. After a handful of blocked shots by the Skyhawks, the Mavericks finally earned a corner kick with just over 25 minutes left to play. The set piece resulted in a shot, but the attempt went high. The Mavericks had two more corner kicks, both in the 72^nd minute, but Rosenbaum tapped away the deflection on the second chance to preserve the score.

Colorado Mesa had another near miss off a set piece in the 76^th minute when Randel sent a shot off the crossbar and followed by committing a foul to give Fort Lewis the ball. Otts tallied a shot in the 79^th minute from distance to establish some offensive pressure, but it resulted in a save for Mesa. The Mavericks countered with a well-placed cross in the 86^th minute which was met by Rosenbaum as she sprinted out of the box. The teams both had chances in the final minutes, but nothing connected and the match went to overtime.

The first overtime period began with an immediate shot on goal for the Mavericks, an attempt that was picked up low-left by Rosenbaum. Ford blocked the next shot by Mesa, and Rosenbaum saved one three minutes late to maintain the scoreless tie with four minutes to go in the period. The Mavericks had another good look after a pair of bad touches left the ball with Randel. The Colorado Mesa forward fired a shot, but it missed wide right to give Rosenbaum a goal kick and expire the clock.

Tapia set up the first offensive chance for Fort Lewis in the second overtime period when she sent a through ball to Salazar, but the sophomore got tied up with the Colorado Mesa defender to end the threat. The Fort Lewis defense stepped up once again after Rosenbaum abandoned her post to bat a ball away and got tied up trying to reach the deflection. Randel of Colorado Mesa got to the ball first, but the Skyhawks' back line made a save as Rosenbaum came tearing back into her post. Fort Lewis had a similar chance in the 109^th minute, but the shot from Reyes bounced off the post to extend the overtime period. Despite a late free kick for Mesa, the time ran out and the game moved to penalty kicks.

Rosenbaum saved the first penalty kick low right, but Fort Lewis missed off the crossbar on their first chance to keep it even. Fort Lewis and Colorado Mesa both made their second attempts high right to remain knotted. The teams both scored in the third round for a 2-2 deadlock. The Mavericks took a 3-2 lead after a Fort Lewis attempt was turned away, and then Rosenbaum made her second save of the PK round to extend play. Ford put her shot in high right to tie it up at three apiece. Rosenbaum followed with her third save but then hit the crossbar on her ensuing attempt. Taylor Rittman extended the rounds after tying it up at 4-4 with a shot just inside the right post. They moved to the ninth round after Abila Tapia tied the score at five each. Peebles and Gonzales made their PKs to bring on the 11^th round, and Rosenbaum gave her team a chance to seal the PK shootout with her fourth save. Jenna Salazar stepped up for her second attempt of the shootout and buried it high-right to seal the 8-7 win.

Fort Lewis (9-5-5) moves on to the RMAC Tournament Semifinals for the first time since 2015 and will face No. 3-seeded MSU Denver in a rematch of a 0-0 draw just 10 days ago.

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