The Fort Lewis Skyhawks dropped the second game of their 4 game spring break road trip to Grand Canyon by the score of 23-7 in Phoenix, AZ on Tuesday afternoon. Grand Canyon made the MCLA National Championships last season as a Division 2 team, and made the jump to Division 1 this season. The depth and talent of their roster was apparent early on, as the ‘Lopes sprung out to a a 5-1 lead after the 1st quarter and poured in 10 more goals in the second for a 15-5 advantage at the half. The inexperience of Fort Lewis’ young offense showed in repeated short possessions throughout the game, as many players pressed hard to create chances, only to see the ball end up heading back the other way. The FLC defense managed to hold GCU to just 8 more goals in the second half, but the offense couldn’t capitalize on some great opportunities and managed only 2 goals for the half. Fort Lewis is now 0-2 against D1 opponents this season, with a previous loss to Utah State. Thursday at 4:00pm (PT) the Skyhawks take on #16 Cal State-Fullerton, a team riding a hot streak with impressive scores in 5 straight games. If the Fort can find consistency and confidence, this will be one to watch, as the out-of-conference rivalry stretches back to 2008, with the series split at 2-2.
The game was not without highlights for the Skyhawks, as Grant Arthurs continued his impressive sophomore campaign with 2 goals, 2 assists, and winning 15 of 19 faceoffs (79%). Midfielder Brooks Wilcox also made several spectacular plays in transition that don’t show up on the stat sheet. All 17 Skyhawks who made the trip got significant minutes in the game, and the team battled all the way through the final whistle. Thanks to Coach Manny Rapkin and his classy Grand Canyon University team for hosting us, good luck in Division 1, and thanks especially for the warm weather!
flclax.com 