The 3rd defeat in a row for Fort Lax ended with a score of Northern Colorado 13, Fort Lewis 10. It was a back and forth struggle that saw the lead change 5 times. The last time came with 4:25 left when UNC midfielder Clay Haverty put a running bounce shot by FLC goalie Hayden Pike (15 saves). Despite multiple chances, the Skyhawks could not get a shot in, and the Bears were able to put in two more in during the desperation of the final minutes.
The story of the game was the 11 minutes of penalties for Fort Lewis to only 2 minutes by the Bears. The Fort could not keep their mouths shut, and the officials rightfully made them pay for it. In a close conference rivalry game like this, a team cannot win with over 10 minutes of penalties. Hopefully the team can clean it up in time for the playoffs, or it will be an early exit for the Fort.
Max Segal led the Fort with 4 goals and 1 assist, with a strong display of inside and outside shooting. Conor Henricks also had a couple of highlight reel goals, and Tim Cox (who made his first start at attack) added 1g 1a. The attack just missed connecting on several quality scoring chances, putting 13 shots on goal in the 4th quarter but only managed 3 goals. Brooks Wilcox, Holden Randle, and Nick Wallen scored for the Fort midfield who moved the ball well all game long.
Great plays were made on defense on both side, but the play of junior defenseman Shaun Koenig really stood out. Creating turnovers on slides, one-on-one matchups, and on ground balls kept the hard shooting UNC midfield in check. Kyle Dille and Tim Topper also showed why they are the best 1-2 punch at Long-Stick-Mid in the conference with outstanding work on faceoffs and the long man-down shifts. Unfortunately for the defense, penalties are exhausting to kill and the Bears took advantage late when it mattered. The defense as a unit only had 4 minutes in penalty time.
This young team has proven resilient this season, and finally gets to play its last 3 games at home over the next two weeks. The comforts of home sure beat the long road, so come on out and cheer for the boys Friday 4/11 against Johnson and Wales at 4:00 pm, Saturday 4/12 vs Regis at 2:00pm, and Saturday 4/19 vs. Western State at 4:00pm. The time is NOW to rally and Defend The Fort.
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