Photo Courtesy of ASC Sports Information: Allie Mercado
Scott Kretxmann
ASC Sports Information Director
Following a scoreless first half the 18th-ranked Fort Lewis women’s soccer squad scored two straight in the second half before Adams State was able to answer, but it was too little too late for the Grizzlies who fell by a final score of 2-1 at ASC Soccer Field on Sunday.
The Grizzlies, now 4-5 overall, are 1-4 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) following the loss and have lost two straight. The Skyhawks stayed unbeaten with the win, improving to 8-0-1 overall this season while maintain a 5-0 league mark.
Defenses dictated the first half of play, as the two teams combined to get off just 11 shots in the first 45 minutes of action. ASC freshman keeper Christie Stemple (Chandler, Ariz.) and FLC net-minder Amanda Raso each were forced to make a pair of saves, but the teams entered the break knotted at 0-0.
Stemple was busy early on in the second half, making back-to-back saves on shots from inside the box to keep the Skyhawks off the board. But at 67 minutes and 29 seconds in, Emma Cannis netted the game’s first goal. Nicole Schumacher put a free kick from 30 yards out on target, and Stemple’s deflection bounced off the crossbar and right to the awaiting feet of Cannis who gave FLC a 1-0 lead on the rebound.
A little over 12 minutes later, Serena Mancha scored the Skyhawks’ second goal of the game, finding the ball amidst heavy traffic in front of the net and putting the ball past Stemple into the lower left-hand corner.
The Grizzlies’ had an answer less than two minutes later. Senior Jessica Hellweg (Island Lake, Ill.) tallied her second assist of the year when she headed a jump ball between her and Raso away to freshman Allie Mercado (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) who scored her third goal of the season to cut the lead to 2-1.
Mercado’s goal came on the Grizzlies first shot attempt of the second half, and while the Grizzlies would make two more before time expired, FLC was able to hold off the Grizzlies.
Stemple made six saves, four of which came in the second half, while FLC’s Raso only faced one shot on target over the final 45 minutes.
Mercado was the only Grizzly to get off more than one shot, putting both of her attempts on target.
Fort Lewis was whistled for being offsides seven times in the match, and outshot the Grizzlies 17-7.
The Grizzlies will take to the road for one game next weekend, travelling to take on Regis University in Denver on Friday, Sept. 30. The Rangers improved to 6-3 overall and upped their RMAC mark to 3-2 on Sunday with a 3-2 win over the New Mexico Highlands.
What’s Been Said…