DURANGO, Colo. - The Black Hills State University women's soccer team fell for just the second time in the 2026 season, falling to Fort Lewis 1-0 at Dirks Field. With an 18th minute goal in the first half the Skyhawks took the early advantage and held off a strong Yellow Jacket offensive attack that out-shot their opponents 12-3 in a match-up of top-5 RMAC squads who each are among the four teams that see second place and fifth place separated by just three points in the standings.
QUICK DETAILS
Score: Black Hills State 0, Fort Lewis 1
Team Records: Black Hills State 9-2-3 (6-2-1 RMAC), Fort Lewis 9-2-2 (6-2-0 RMAC)
Attendance: 258
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both goalkeepers had the opportunity to make an early save in the first 15 minutes of action. The Skyhawks posted the first shot on target following the ball being cleared by Ellie Talich, when Ann Spence sent a long shot from roughly 40-yards out towards the bottom left corner of the net where Rian Barthel stopped the shot in the 14th minute. Then just 29 seconds following the initial shot and the kick away from Barthel across midfield, Ivy Agee gained control of the ball and worked her way through the Skyhawk defense for a shot from roughly 35-yards out that ricocheted between Trinity Lujan's hands and the top woodwork before bouncing back into play.
- Minutes later after the stops by each keeper, Fort Lewis struck with the lone goal of the match as Emma Gurule worked her way around the right edge of the defense and passed the ball to the top right corner of the box where Kiana Jamerson fired a shot across the box and into the top left corner of the net in the 18th minute for the 1-0 advantage.
- Barthel made an additional three saves in the final ten minutes of the first half, first in the 36th minute as she picked up a low, bouncing shot from 25-yards out by Jamerson, then in the 40th minute she punched a ball over the top of the net as Jenna Salazar fired a shot towards the upper center of the net from 40-yards out, and then in the final seconds she stopped a scoring opportunity from within the box as Tristen Fought fired a shot from just a few yards out towards the right side of the net and she was able to deflect it away as time expired.
- The Yellow Jacket defense held the Skyhawks without a shot on target the entirety of the second half, limiting FLC to just three shot attempts while the offensive attack ramped up for the Green & Gold with 12 shots of their own.
- The BHSU attack started early into the second half, when in the 47th minute Bailey Smith took control of the ball after it was deflected back and sent a shot towards the left side of the net from 40-yards out that bounced into the hands of Lujan.
- One of Black Hills State's best scoring opportunities of the night came in the 71st minute as Kalissa Weich found herself in open space in the box following a cross pass from Smith, however, her shot pushed right of the net after she received a last second challenge from Lujan and another Skyhawk defender.
- Agee recorded her second on target shot of the match in the 80th minute, which was saved by Lujan to preserve the 1-0 Skyhawk advantage.
- Black Hills State held a 15-10 advantage in shots and a 4-3 advantage in saves in the match, while Fort Lewis held a 5-3 edge in shots on goal and a 5-1 edge in corner kicks.
FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS
BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS
Ivy Agee: 9 shots, 2 shots on goal
Bailey Smith: 1 shot, 1 shot on goal
Ally Boysen: 2 shots
Rian Barthel: 4 saves
UP NEXT
Black Hills State is set for their final road match of the regular season, traveling to Gunnison, Colorado, for an 11 a.m. match at the Rady Family Sports Complex against Western Colorado.
