Season Preview - Women's Soccer

Season Preview: 2024 Women's Soccer

By Angela Roberts, Associate AD-Communications

DURANGO, Colo. – Skyhawks women’s soccer kicks off its season in three weeks, returning a core of fifth-year players, a blend of experienced returners, and nine newcomers to battle it out on the pitch. 

Women's Soccer

Looking Back

The 2023 campaign was a successful one by all accounts. The team began the year undefeated through its first 10 matches, including three home shutout wins over West Texas A&M (2-0), Angelo State (1-0), and New Mexico Highlands (6-0).  Fort Lewis ended the year with an overall record of 9-4-6 and a 5-3-4 mark in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. They were 5-1-2 on Dirks Field. The Skyhawks advanced to the RMAC Tournament where they fell to No. 7-ranked Colorado School of Mines to close out the season. 

Five players were named to the All-Conference teams, led by a trio that found spots on the Second Team. Senior forward Aubrey Swindle earned Second Team honors after leading the team with 11 points through the regular season. Junior midfielder Gabi Meraz-Fishbein was also named to the Second Team after scoring four goals in 16 matches and ranking fourth on the team in minutes played. Freshman defender Amber Otts also found a spot on the Second Team after leading the team in minutes played and aiding in the team’s effort to cut their goals-against average in half from the year prior.

Last year saw our program grow from the usual blue collar team full of heart, which is us, to a team that had the majority of the ball. I think we became a real concern for anyone in the conference, but sustaining the level of play required is still a work in progress.
Head Coach Damian Clarke
Abila Tapia

The Schedule

Despite not having a regular season home game until the end of September, the Skyhawks will treat fans to three preseason exhibitions beginning next week. They welcome Trinidad State JC (Aug. 21), Western Colorado (Aug. 25), and have their annual alumni game (Aug. 31). Then, Fort Lewis will spend five matches on the road in Texas and New Mexico. The team will play regional rivals Lubbock Christian, Eastern New Mexico, Midwestern State, UT Permian Basin, and West Texas A&M.

Fort Lewis makes its home debut on Friday, September 27 with an RMAC-opening match against CSU Pueblo. They will head on the road the following week but return to Durango in mid-October to take on Colorado School of Mines for the Nike N7 game and UCCS for our annual Pink Game. The Skyhawks will also play a pair of home games during Homecoming Week, which will also be the Fifth Year/Senior Days. This season, the team will split its senior days between home dates to accommodate the large graduating class. The RMAC Tournament kicks off on Sunday, November 10 with the high seed hosting throughout. A full look at the schedule can be found HERE.

The preseason will see us try to further develop play through the midfield and into the attacking third. Our hope is to become more of a threat in our spells of possession .
Head Coach Damian Clarke
Loading...

2024 Schedule

Livestream, live statistics, and ticket links are included below. Links may be updated prior to game time.

{{ moment(game.date).format('MMM D, YYYY') }} {{ game.time ? 'at ' + game.time : '' }}
{{ game.sport.title }} {{ game.location_indicator === 'A' ? 'at' : 'vs' }}
{{ game.opponent.title }}
When you look at the RMAC as a whole, we all know we are competing in one of the best conferences in the country. For us, we believe we can compete and beat a few of these programs and change our profile as we again plan to qualify for the conference tournament. It’s the usual suspects again this year, UCCS and Mines, with Colorado Mesa now asserting itself as a legit powerhouse. Exciting times for this conference, and the middle of the pack has a some real quality that will fight to take the next step.
Head Coach Damian Clarke
Purchase Season and Single Game Tickets Here!
Rachel Peebles

New to the Nest

The newcomers consist of four transfers and five true freshmen. Head coach Damian Clarke and his staff picked up transfers from across the country and the world, including a pair of international additions. Junior Abigail Nkrumah joins the team from Arizona Western College and calls Accra, Ghana home, and junior Renee Junna, from Canberra, Australia, comes to Durango from Tyler Junior College. Junior Taylor Rittman has been added to the roster after spending two seasons at the University of New Mexico—she will also compete with the track team. Sophomore Elise Bosanko, sister of men’s soccer player Quinn Bosanko, is the final transfer addition after playing one season at Shaw University. 

The freshman class has players from Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. Goalkeeper Conner Ansboro is the first on the list and is welcomed to the squad after being a two-time District Goalkeeper of the Year during her prep career at Panther Creek High School in Little Elm, Texas. Kiana Jamerson will join the midfield as a four-year letter winner at V. Sue Cleveland High School where she was named All-District twice. Also in the midfield is Electra Westum, a product of Millennium High School in Goodyear, Arizona where she guided the team to a 15-4 record in 2023-24. Mia Duncan will be another midfielder for the team and owned 25 goals and 28 assists during her prep career at Montrose High School. The final addition is defender Kailin Gudewicz who led her Heritage High School team to a 16-2 record last season. 

I think we added some experienced transfers that will strengthen us right away. Renee Junna is an excellent defending player from Australia who will help us continue to dominate possession and lock down an even tighter defensive effort. The other defensive addition comes with a family connection, Elise Bosanko, a hard nose defending player like her brother from the men’s team, Quinn Bosanko. She comes to us from Shaw University where she played significant minutes as a freshman. The third transfer is Abigail Nkrumah, a unique striker from a Final Four NJCAA team at Arizona Western where she scored some very impactful goals. Our last addition, Taylor Rittman, the UNM transfer will bring an intense and high level experience from a dominant Mountain West program. She will feature in the attack, most likely in a wide space.
Head Coach Damian Clarke
Elizabeth David

Who's Back?

Fort Lewis returns a wealth of talent from last year’s team, including 17 of the 18 players that notched points in the 2023 season. It will likely be coach Clarke’s deepest roster with six fifth years and four seniors gracing the pitch. Goalkeeping duties will be on lock with a pair of fifth years, Katlyn Rosenbaum and Riley Bravin, patrolling the net. The two are known to split time and combined for a .79 goals-against average last season. Bravin was named All-RMAC Honorable Mention with a .50 goals-against average.

The defensive end will have just as much experience with fifth-year Elizabeth David returning from injury. The Arizona native was on pace for a career season in 2023 before sustaining a season-ending injury in the 15th match of the year. She enters her final season having played in 55 games. Joining her is junior Rachel Peebles who played and started in all 19 games as a sophomore and ranked second on the team with 1555 minutes played. Sophomore Amber Otts, mentioned above as an All-Conference pick in 2023, returns after an incredible debut last season. She was named RMAC Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 19) and led the team in minutes played (1606).

Fans can expect to see senior Danielle Gonzales patrolling the midfield after working her way back from injury last season. She dished out assists in her first two games back last season. Senior Gabi Meraz Fishbein joins the midfield with 53 career games under her belt. She tied for the team lead with four goals last season and was an All-Conference pick. Fifth-year McKenna Ford is another asset in the midfield with 54 games, five assists, and three goals to her credit. Fifth-year Julia Johnson adds scoring potential at the position, and senior Sabrina Reyes, a two-time All-Conference Honorable Mention selection, brings scoring potential as well. 

The forward position is full of talent and speed, led by sophomore Haley Stafford who played in all 19 games last season while supplying one goal and three assists. Sophomore Ashlyn Salas joins her after a two-goal campaign through 19 games played as a freshman. Junior Josie Coulter returns with two goals to her name and looks to have added speed after competing with the indoor and outdoor track program last year. There are a number of players who are primed to have a breakout year, and with a roster of 35 platers, it can be any player on any given day. 

I think some key contributors will be anchored through both Riley Bravin and Katelyn Rosenbaum in goal. Both players have attributes that can drive the team in different ways…Riley has an energy that can create a unique ignition in the way a team is led from the back. Katelyn is also unique in just a shear power and presence, that can drive a confident posture to the group. At the center of the defense, Elizabeth David has returned from an ACL injury, and her stability and communication in our build is critical. We also get Amber Otts back from an injury that sat her out the entire spring. The next line will of course feature Gabi Meraz-Fishbein, who is one of the most sophisticated passing players in the RMAC. The next midfield line and combination of Sabrina Reyes and Ann Spence will also be players the opposition will have to adjust too.
Head Coach Damian Clarke
Women's soccer pregame

Countdown to OPENING DAY

Fort Lewis will always be a program who will try to entertain the fans, we want to play in a certain way, and play through the lines. In the same breath we want to be able to adapt when needed to compete with anyone we face.
Head Coach Damian Clarke

Read More