SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Freshman Emma Gurule began her collegiate career in fine fashion with an early goal as the Fort Lewis College women's soccer team battled regional foe St. Mary's University to a 1-1 draw on Thursday.
The Rattlers held a narrow edge in shots, 17-15, while the Skyhawks led in shots on goal with seven. Fort Lewis played a relatively clean match with just seven fouls whistled against the Skyhawks compared to 13 for St. Mary's.
Gurule was responsible for the team's lone goal, assisted by senior Jenna Salazar, the Skyhawks' leading point scorer from a season ago. Fort Lewis saw six players go the distance, including Gurule, Salazar, senior Amber Otts, junior Lucy Bernino, and sophomores Addyson Carpentier and Trinity Lujan. Lujan performed well in goal, collecting five saves while allowing just one goal.
Gurule wasted no time getting acclimated to the blue and gold, collecting a leading pass from Salazar and using her left foot to beat the keeper low to the right for a 1-0 lead in the third minute.The Rattlers managed a shot in the 10th minute following a flurry of throw-ins, but the attempt sailed off target.
Lujan earned her first save of the season in the 13th minute after making a quality read as St. Mary's Kamrynn Martinez sprinted toward the right side of the goal. Lujan sent the ball ahead, eventually finding freshman Maleia Dayao in the attacking third for the newcomer's first shot of the day. The sophomore keeper tallied another save off a St. Mary's corner kick, getting a hand on a header to preserve the lead.
The Rattlers found a spark with eight minutes remaining in the half as the home side worked the ball down the near sideline. Bernino executed a slide tackle to knock the ball away before sophomore defender Tristen Fought provided crucial help defense to clear the danger. The half ended with another quality chance from Gurule and a last-second free kick as Fort Lewis carried its 1-0 advantage into the break.
Fort Lewis had an early opportunity in the second half after junior Mia Duncan drew a foul just outside the box. Salazar lined up for the ensuing free kick and took the shot herself, narrowly missing high and to the right.
St. Mary's had its first dangerous look of the half in the 54th minute following a long pass up the middle. The Rattlers' forward had just one player to beat, but that player was Otts, who thwarted the opportunity with a timely clearance.The lead held until a St. Mary's free kick near the corner resulted in a loose ball in front of the net. Martinez cleaned it up with a one-touch finish over the reach of Lujan to even the score at 1-1.
Offensive pressure continued for the home side, resulting in a blocked shot and another save from Lujan to preserve the tie. St. Mary's continued to ramp up the pressure, tallying three shots over a two-minute span, but the match remained deadlocked with 20 minutes to play. After a brief intermission for the players to grab water in the sweltering, 100-degree heat, Otts put a shot on goal to provide some offensive life for Fort Lewis.
The Skyhawks drew a foul in the 80th minute near the corner of the box, but a blocked shot resulted in a corner kick for the visitors. Gusting winds made it difficult for Fort Lewis to create a threat on the ensuing set piece, and the ball went back to St. Mary's on a goal kick. Fort Lewis appeared to re-establish its rhythm in the closing minutes, including a narrow miss from Salazar, before officials called the match in the 88th minute.
Fort Lewis (0-0-1) continues its Texas trek on Saturday with an 11:00 a.m. kickoff against Lubbock Christian University. The match will serve as the season opener for the Chaps, who finished 8-7-3 last season.
