DURANGO, Colo. – The Fort Lewis College (0-8, 0-6 RMAC) women's lacrosse team held No. 18 Regis University (8-4, 5-1 RMAC) to just one goal in the first quarter, but the Rangers surged over the final three periods to secure an 18-5 win in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play.
Regis finished with a 33-19 advantage in total shots and a 25-14 edge in shots on goal. Fort Lewis struggled with turnovers, posting a 9-of-16 mark on clears. The Rangers also controlled draws, 15-10, and capitalized on six free-position opportunities.
Senior Samantha Rodgers led the Skyhawks defensively with five caused turnovers and three ground balls. Senior Diamond Velasco paced the offense with two goals, while junior Piper Price recorded a team-high three points on one goal and two assists. Freshman Adalyn Murray and sophomore Jasmine Nguyen each added a goal. Junior goalkeeper Olivia Tilbury totaled seven saves and two ground balls.
Regis was led by Aubrey Benton, Maggie Schipfer, and Lexie Springman, who each scored five goals.
Fort Lewis opened strong defensively, forcing off-target shots and collecting early ground balls. Regis broke through at the 11:36 mark following a green card that led to a free-position goal. After a save from Tilbury, the Skyhawks quickly cleared and tied the game at 1-1 on Nguyen's goal. The remainder of the quarter stayed scoreless, with Rodgers forcing turnovers and both goalkeepers holding firm.
Tilbury opened the second quarter with another save, but Regis responded with two quick goals to take a 3-1 lead. After a Fort Lewis timeout, fouls led to two more Rangers goals, extending the margin to 5-1. The Skyhawks answered at the 6:03 mark when Price found Velasco for her 14th goal of the season. Regis added a woman-up goal in the final minute to carry a 7-2 lead into halftime.
The Rangers extended their momentum in the third quarter, converting another woman-up opportunity early for a 9-2 lead. Fort Lewis responded at 11:52 as Valerie Garcia connected with Velasco to make it 9-3. Regis quickly answered with a free-position goal and a fast draw-control score to push the lead to 11-3. After a Regis failed clear, Price capitalized to make it 11-4. Murray added a goal later in the quarter as both teams traded scores.
Regis put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter, scoring twice in the opening 45 seconds and adding another goal at the 11:39 mark to make it 15-5. The Rangers closed with three more goals, including two on free-position chances, for the 18-5 final.
Fort Lewis will play its final home game of the season on Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. opening draw against UCCS.
