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Tomas Duenes vs. Otero College
Kaitlyn Silva
Tomas Duenes (11) provides service into the box with a corner kick in an exhibition match against Otero Junior College on Dirks Field (Aug. 25, 2024)

No. 21 Skyhawks headed to Lubbock Christian and Eastern New Mexico

9/4/2024 12:00:00 PM

By: Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement
DURANGO, Colo. – The reigning Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Regular Season Champions and No. 21-ranked Fort Lewis men's soccer team jumps back into action this week as the Skyhawks take trips to Lubbock Christian and Eastern New Mexico to mark the beginning of the 2024 campaign.
 
The Basics
Opponent: Lubbock Christian
Date: Thursday, Sep. 5
Time: 6:30 p.m. MST
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Stadium: LCU Soccer & Track Facility
Series Overall: Series tied 1-1-1
Series at Lubbock Christian: Series tied 0-0-1
Last Meeting: LCU Won, 3-2 (Aug. 31, 2023)
Pay-Per-View Broadcast: FloSports
Live Statistics: Stat Broadcast
Tickets: LCU Ticketing
 
Opponent: Eastern New Mexico
Date: Saturday, Sep. 7
Time: 1:30 p.m. MST
Location: Portales, N.M.
Stadium: Al Whitehead Field at Steve Loy Family Foundation Stadium  
Series Overall: Skyhawks lead 2-0
Series at Eastern New Mexico: First Meeting
Last Meeting: FLC Won, 3-1 (Sep. 2, 2023)
Pay-Per-View Broadcast: FloSports
Live Statistics: Stat Broadcast
Tickets: Free
 
Defend the Crown
Earning 91 points and three of eleven first-place votes, the Fort Lewis men's soccer team heads into the year voted to finish second in the conference on the league's preseason coaches poll. Last fall, the Skyhawks returned to prominence after tripling its win total from the season before with a 12-5-4 overall record and 6-1-3 mark in conference play culminating in the program's ninth regular-season conference championship and a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.
 
A Look at the Chaparrals
Following a seventh-place finish in the Lone Star Conference last season with a 6-4-7 overall record and 2-3-4 mark in the league play, Lubbock Christian enters the year voted to finish sixth on the LSC Preseason Coaches poll with 179 total points.
 
Senior forward Saimon Gjeci, who matched since-graduated Pablo Galietero Diez with six goals to lead the Chaps last season, returns to lead the LCU attack once again. The six-foot-two native of Brescia, Italy, found the back of the net on six occasions across 15 shots on goal including one penalty kick. As a unit, the Lubbock Christian offense posted 1.29 goals per game on an average of 12.6 shots with a 43.9 percent shots-on-goal percentage.
 
Another big shift for the Chaparrals lies in goal with senior Connor Pettigrew. The six-foot-one native of Frisco, Texas, transferred to LCU from Midwestern State in 2022 and has since appeared in four matches making two starts for 244 minutes on the pitch. In addition, Pettigrew has allowed two goals while making six saves across 24 shots faced for a 75.0 percent save percentage.
 
A Look at the Greyhounds
Eastern New Mexico was voted to finish eighth in the LSC Preseason Coaches Poll with 136 total points. In 2023, ENMU fought to a 4-7-6 overall record and a 2-3-4 record in Lone Star play. After downing St. Edward's (1-10-5) 3-1 on Oct. 14, the Greyhounds went on to finish the season with a pair of losses and three draws.
 
Nick Hueing, a native of Lichtenberg, Germany, returns for his senior season after headlining the Greyhounds offense last season with a team-high five goals and one assist. Giani Mascarel and Ignacio Lopez supplied an additional four and three goals apiece while Felix Drizinsky led the roster with six total assists.
 
Of the three keepers to protect the net for the Greyhounds last season, only Catalin Nastuta returns for 2024. The six-foot-one senior out of Silleda, Spain, played in only one match last season and allowed one goal while making three saves against four total shots. Nastuta began his collegiate career with Oklahoma Panhandle State where he played in 11 matches, held a 3-7-1 record with two shutouts, and made 57 saves with a 68.7 percent save percentage en route to Second-Team All-Conference honors.
 
Split Week Ahead
Fort Lewis is set to make its Durango debut next week as the nationally ranked Skyhawks host the Rattlers from St. Mary's down in San Antonio, Texas, on Wednesday, Sep. 11, at 7:00 p.m. on Dirk Field. The Skyhawks will then head to Canyon, Texas, for a match at noon at West Texas A&M on Sunday, Sep. 15. In addition, Fort Lewis will play host to a neutral site contest between Colorado Mesa and St. Mary's on Monday, Sep. 9, at 1:00 p.m. on Dirks Field.
 
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