FARMINGTON, N.M. – A pair of first-half goals and another stellar defensive performance propelled the Fort Lewis College women's soccer team to a statement 2-0 win over No. 9 UCCS on Friday evening at Farmington High School.
The Skyhawks remained unbeaten at 4-0-2 overall and opened Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play at 1-0. UCCS fell to 4-2-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
The victory marked Fort Lewis' highest-ranked win since Sept. 10, 2010, when the Skyhawks defeated No. 4 West Texas A&M, 1-0, in Canyon, Texas. It was also the Skyhawks' first win over UCCS since the 2016 season.
Freshman Emma Gurule continued her impressive start to the season with a goal and an assist, bringing her team-leading total to four goals. Freshman Maleia Dayao added the first goal of her collegiate career, while Kiana Jamerson and senior Jenna Salazar each picked up assists.
Sophomore goalkeeper Trinity Lujan and the Fort Lewis defense turned in their fourth consecutive shutout. UCCS finished with a 16-9 advantage in shots and a 7-1 edge in corner kicks, but the Mountain Lions managed just five shots on goal. Lujan played all 90 minutes in net, and the Skyhawks totaled five saves.
Fort Lewis wasted little time putting the nationally-ranked Mountain Lions on their heels. Just 4:14 into the match, Jamerson sent a ball forward from the touchline that found Gurule through contact. Gurule took a touch into the box before sending a shot back across goal from 16 yards out, tucking it inside the left post to give the Skyhawks a 1-0 lead.
UCCS responded with pressure and forced Lujan into consecutive saves in the 16th and 17th minutes, but Fort Lewis nearly doubled its advantage moments later when Salazar rattled a shot off the crossbar in the 19th minute.
The second goal arrived in the 26th minute after Salazar played a ball forward from midfield and through the UCCS defense. Gurule redirected it with a one-touch pass to Dayao, who split a pair of defenders and drove into the right side of the box. Dayao finished back across goal from eight yards out and inside the left post for her first collegiate goal and a 2-0 Skyhawks advantage.
Fort Lewis continued to generate quality looks before halftime, with Gurule putting another shot on frame in the 33rd minute and senior Amber Otts testing UCCS goalkeeper Lucy Kapranos in the 40th. On the opposite end, Lujan made her third save of the half in the 38th minute to preserve the two-goal advantage heading into the break.
The Mountain Lions increased the pressure in the second half, but the Fort Lewis back line held firm. Lujan made a save on an Elise Broberg attempt in the 53rd minute, while the Skyhawks nearly added a third when Salazar hit the crossbar for the second time in the 67th.
UCCS continued to push numbers forward down the stretch, earning three second-half corner kicks and producing eight shots. The Mountain Lions put a dangerous chance on frame in the 80th minute, but the Skyhawks came away with a team save to keep the shutout intact.
UCCS managed four more shots over the final 10 minutes, but none found the target as Fort Lewis closed out its fourth straight clean sheet and its biggest ranked victory in 16 years.
Gurule led the Skyhawks with two shots on goal, while Salazar paced the team with three total attempts. Otts and Dayao also put shots on frame. Lujan, Otts, Kailin Gudewicz, Salazar, Gurule, Addyson Carpentier and Mia Duncan each played the full 90 minutes.
Fort Lewis will return to action on Sunday when it takes on Colorado School of Mines at noon.
