DURANGO, Colo. – With postseason positioning and valuable points on the line, the Fort Lewis College women's soccer team is gearing up for one of its biggest weekends of the season, welcoming two of the league's top contenders to Dirks Field.

The Skyhawks will square off against Black Hills State on Friday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m. before hosting nationally ranked No. 22 Regis on Sunday, Oct. 18, at noon.

Fort Lewis (8-2-2, 5-2 RMAC) enters the weekend riding a four-match winning streak and sitting fifth in the conference standings with 15 points. The Skyhawks will face a pair of formidable opponents in second-place Black Hills State (9-1-3, 6-1-1 RMAC) and conference-leading Regis (12-2, 8-0 RMAC), which has won 11 consecutive matches.

Last Time Out

The Skyhawks continued their winning ways last Friday with a commanding 2-0 shutout of CSU Pueblo at Dirks Field, extending their winning streak to four matches.

Senior Ann Spence and sophomore Addyson Carpentier supplied the offense, while the Fort Lewis defense limited the ThunderWolves to just two shots across 90 minutes.

Carpentier doubled the advantage in the 48th minute, rising to meet an in-swinging corner kick from senior Jenna Salazar and heading home her third goal of the season. Salazar finished with five shots and an assist, while sophomore Mason Ricker led all players with six attempts.

Defensively, senior Amber Otts and Carpentier anchored the back line alongside Kailin Gudewicz and Lucy Bernino. Sophomore goalkeeper Trinity Lujan recorded one save to preserve the clean sheet.

The victory provided another boost of momentum as Fort Lewis prepares for its toughest remaining home weekend of the regular season.

Scouting the Skyhawks

Fort Lewis enters its pivotal home weekend boasting an 8-2-2 overall record and a 5-2 mark in RMAC play, having won four consecutive matches and six of its last eight contests. The Skyhawks have outscored opponents 18-8 through 12 matches, averaging 1.50 goals per contest while limiting the opposition to just 0.67 goals per match. Fort Lewis has recorded six shutouts this season and has held opponents scoreless in three of its last five outings.

Offensively, the Skyhawks have showcased a balanced attack, with seven different players finding the back of the net this season. Freshman Emma Gurule leads the charge with six goals, one assist and 13 points, including two game-winning goals. Freshman Maleia Dayao follows with four goals, three assists and 11 points, while placing a team-leading 17 of her 23 shots on target for a .739 shots-on-goal percentage. Sophomore Addyson Carpentier has added three goals and one assist for seven points, while senior Jenna Salazar has been the team's primary facilitator, leading the squad with five assists and a team-high 30 shots.

The Skyhawks have also received a recent offensive spark from senior Ann Spence, who has scored twice and added an assist for five points in just four appearances. Both of Spence's goals have stood as game-winners. Freshman Kadyn Begay has contributed two goals, including one game-winner, while junior Lucy Bernino has added a goal and an assist from the back line.

Defensively, Fort Lewis has continued to build on its reputation as one of the RMAC's stingiest units, surrendering just eight goals in 12 matches. Sophomore goalkeeper Trinity Lujan has started every contest, logging all 1,080 minutes between the posts while collecting 48 saves, six shutouts, a .857 save percentage and a 0.67 goals-against average. Lujan has been supported by a veteran defensive unit featuring Amber Otts, Kailin Gudewicz, Lucy Bernino and Addyson Carpentier, with Otts playing all but one minute of the season and Carpentier logging every minute.

With 18 goals scored, six shutouts and a four-match winning streak, the Skyhawks will look to carry their momentum into a weekend that could significantly reshape the upper half of the RMAC standings.

Scouting Black Hills State

Black Hills State arrives in Durango enjoying one of its strongest seasons in program history, boasting a 9-1-3 overall record and a 6-1-1 mark in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. The Yellow Jackets currently occupy second place in the RMAC standings with 19 points and enter Friday's matchup riding a three-match winning streak.

The Yellow Jackets have been impressive on both ends of the pitch, outscoring opponents 27-8 through 13 matches while averaging 2.08 goals per contest. Black Hills State's offense has been powered by the dynamic duo of Ivy Agee and Ally Boysen, who have combined for 22 goals and 48 points this season. Agee leads the team with 13 goals and 28 points, placing 32 of her 55 shots on target, while Boysen has added nine goals and 20 points, including a team-leading five game-winners. Kylea Becker has orchestrated the attack with seven assists.

Defensively, the Yellow Jackets have been equally formidable, allowing just 0.62 goals per match while holding opponents to eight goals all season. Goalkeeper Rian Barthel has anchored the back line, starting all 13 contests while collecting 48 saves, six shutouts and a .857 save percentage.

Black Hills State enters the weekend following consecutive victories over Colorado Mesa, Colorado Christian and MSU Denver, most recently shutting out the Roadrunners 2-0 on Sunday. The Yellow Jackets' lone conference setback came against UCCS on Oct. 2, while they also battled Colorado School of Mines to a scoreless draw on Sept. 25.

With just four points separating Black Hills State and Fort Lewis in the RMAC standings, Friday's matchup carries significant implications for conference tournament positioning.

Scouting (RV) Regis

Sunday's showdown presents another significant challenge as Fort Lewis welcomes No. 22 Regis, which enters the week atop the RMAC standings with a 12-2 overall record and an unblemished 8-0 mark in conference play. The Rangers have won 11 consecutive matches, the second-longest winning streak in program history, and have already secured a berth in the RMAC Tournament.

Regis has established itself as one of the conference's most explosive offensive teams, outscoring opponents 35-8 while averaging 2.50 goals per match. The Rangers have been particularly dominant against RMAC competition, owning a 23-3 scoring advantage through eight conference victories. Leading the charge is Fernanda Rodriguez, who has registered 13 goals, two assists and 28 points, including five game-winning goals. Paula Igual has provided another dangerous scoring threat with six goals and a team-leading five assists for 17 points, while Brooke Castillo has chipped in three goals, four assists and 10 points.

The Rangers' defensive unit has been just as impressive, limiting opponents to 0.57 goals per match while recording eight shutouts through 14 contests. Goalkeeper Maggie Payne has been instrumental in that success, starting all 14 matches while collecting 59 saves, a .894 save percentage and a 0.60 goals-against average. Payne has recorded four solo shutouts while contributing to four additional combined clean sheets.

Regis extended its winning streak last weekend with a 2-1 victory over MSU Denver and a 1-0 shutout of Colorado Christian. The Rangers will first travel to Western Colorado on Friday before heading to Durango for Sunday's matchup.

With Regis holding a nine-point advantage over fifth-place Fort Lewis, Sunday's contest offers the Skyhawks an opportunity to challenge the conference's top team and strengthen their position in the RMAC postseason race.

Inside the Numbers

• 4: Consecutive victories for Fort Lewis entering the weekend.

• 5: The Skyhawks' current position in the RMAC standings, with 15 conference points.

• 2: Total shots allowed by Fort Lewis in its 2-0 shutout of CSU Pueblo.

• 6: Shutouts recorded by Trinity Lujan and the Skyhawks defense through 12 matches.

• 13: Team-leading points for freshman Emma Gurule, who has scored six goals, including two game-winners.

• 19: Conference points for Black Hills State, which occupies second place in the RMAC.

• 8: Total goals surrendered by Black Hills State through 13 matches.

• 11: Consecutive victories for Regis, the second-longest winning streak in program history.

• 23-3: Regis' scoring advantage against RMAC opponents.

Up Next

Following this weekend's home stand, Fort Lewis will hit the road for its final two away matches of the regular season, traveling to Lakewood, Colo., to face Colorado Christian on Friday, Oct. 23, at 1 p.m. before heading to Denver for a Sunday, Oct. 25, showdown with MSU Denver at 1 p.m.

The Skyhawks will then return to Dirks Field on Wednesday, Oct. 28, to host Western Colorado at 3 p.m. in their regular-season finale.

Live statistics and streaming links for all three contests will be available at goskyhawks.com.