DURANGO, Colo. – The Fort Lewis College women's soccer team delivered one of its biggest victories of the season Friday evening, knocking off second-place Black Hills State University, 1-0, at Dirks Field to extend its winning streak to five matches.
Kiana Jamerson netted her first goal of the season in the 18th minute, while sophomore goalkeeper Trinity Lujan and the Skyhawks' defensive unit held one of the conference's most dangerous offenses scoreless for 90 minutes.
With the victory, Fort Lewis improves to 9-2-2 overall and 6-2 in RMAC play, collecting three crucial conference points to move to 18 on the season. Black Hills State, which entered the evening occupying second place in the conference standings, falls to 9-2-3 overall and 6-2-1 in league action.
The win marks Fort Lewis' fifth consecutive victory and third straight shutout, further solidifying the Skyhawks as contenders in the race for postseason positioning.
How It Happened
With major conference implications hanging in the balance, Fort Lewis wasted little time establishing its offensive presence against a Black Hills State defense that had surrendered just eight goals entering the contest.
The Yellow Jackets generated an early opportunity through Ivy Agee, a freshman with 13 goals to her name, in the fourth minute before Lujan turned away another Agee attempt in the 14th minute.
Just over three minutes later, the Skyhawks broke through.
Freshman Emma Gurule carried the ball toward the end line before delivering a well-placed service back into the penalty area, finding Jamerson near the top-right corner of the box. Jamerson connected on her first touch, driving a shot from 17 yards inside the far post to give Fort Lewis a 1-0 advantage at the 17:06 mark.
The goal marked Jamerson's first of the season, while Gurule collected her second assist of the year and increased her team-leading point total to 15.
Fort Lewis continued applying pressure throughout the opening half, generating seven shots and placing five on target. Jamerson nearly doubled her tally in the 36th minute, while senior Jenna Salazar and sophomore Tristen Fought each forced saves from Black Hills State goalkeeper Rian Barthel in the closing minutes of the period.
The Skyhawks entered halftime holding a 1-0 lead after outshooting the Yellow Jackets 7-3.
Black Hills State responded with increased offensive pressure following the break, recording 12 second-half shots as the visitors searched for an equalizer. The Yellow Jackets tested Lujan early in the 47th minute, but the sophomore goalkeeper turned away Bailey Smith's attempt to preserve the advantage.
Fort Lewis remained composed defensively despite the increased pressure, with senior Amber Otts, junior Kailin Gudewicz, junior Lucy Bernino, and sophomore Addyson Carpentier anchoring the back line.
Agee, who entered the contest as the RMAC's leading goal scorer with 13 goals, accounted for nine of Black Hills State's 15 attempts. However, the Skyhawks limited the dangerous freshman to just two shots on goal, including an opportunity in the 80th minute that Lujan turned aside.
Fort Lewis successfully protected its one-goal advantage through the final whistle, securing one of its most consequential victories of the 2026 campaign.
A Statement Win With Postseason Implications
Friday's result carries considerable weight in an increasingly competitive RMAC postseason race.
Entering the evening, Black Hills State held a four-point advantage over Fort Lewis in the conference standings, occupying second place with 19 points compared to the Skyhawks' 15.
With the victory, Fort Lewis closes that gap to just one point, moving to 18 conference points while handing the Yellow Jackets only their second loss of the season.
The Skyhawks also improve to 6-2 in conference play, matching Black Hills State's six RMAC victories and positioning themselves within striking distance of the conference's upper tier.
The result is especially significant considering the Yellow Jackets entered Friday having won three consecutive matches, including a victory over Colorado Mesa, and had suffered their only previous conference loss against UCCS.
Fort Lewis' victory also marks its ninth win of the season, bringing the Skyhawks within two victories of matching their 11-win total from 2025.
Perhaps most importantly, the Skyhawks have now won five straight matches at a critical point in the season, with three consecutive clean sheets demonstrating the team's ability to deliver defensively against conference competition.
With the top eight teams qualifying for the RMAC Tournament and postseason seeding still taking shape, Friday's three points provide Fort Lewis with valuable momentum heading into another major conference showdown.
Up Next
Fort Lewis will look to carry its momentum into another pivotal RMAC matchup on Sunday, Oct. 18, when the Skyhawks welcome (RV) Regis University to Dirks Field for a noon kickoff.
The Rangers entered the weekend atop the RMAC standings with an undefeated 9-0 conference record and an 12-match winning streak, setting the stage for another high-stakes showdown in Durango.
Following Sunday's contest, Fort Lewis will travel to Colorado Christian on Friday, Oct. 23, before facing MSU Denver on Sunday, Oct. 25. The Skyhawks will conclude the regular season at home against Western Colorado on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
