Farmington, N.M. –– Adams State put up a gritty performance but fell 1-0 to Fort Lewis College in their final hard-fought RMAC contest. in a game that was moved to Farmington, N.M. due to weather the Grizzlies (2-12-2, 0-9-1 RMAC) showcased their defensive ability, led by goalkeeper JP Fernandez, who recorded four critical saves in the first half to keep the game level.
Fort Lewis (11-2-5, 7-2-1 RMAC) dominated possession and created numerous opportunities, tallying 26 shots to Adams State's six. The decisive moment came in the 85th minute when David Citron scored his sixth goal of the season, capitalizing on an assist from Vincent Edgell.
Adams State's offense struggled to find the net but had promising moments, particularly through Avery Richards. The forward led the Grizzlies with four shots, including three on target, testing Skyhawks goalkeeper Lucas Martin, who made five saves en route to a shutout.
The Grizzlies' defensive discipline was evident, though the match grew heated late, with a total of four cards issued. Fort Lewis midfielder Quinn Bosanko received a red card in the 89th minute for his second bookable offense, reducing the Skyhawks to 10 men for the closing minutes. Despite the numerical advantage, Adams State couldn't break through the organized Fort Lewis defense.
"You can definitely tell by the tears in a few eyes of what this game meant tonight. We dominated on the field and their goalkeeper just kept Fort Lewis in the game, so round of applause to him but we deserved 3 points tonight. The boys battled till the end and the blood, tears, and scars can prove that. Couldn't be any happier about the performance from everyone tonight. These boys deserved to end the season on a high and in our heads we won, but the scoreboard says differently. Fufo Lopez last game tonight with this program and I couldn't be happier to have coached him his last three years. Most of this team is returning next year so……. WE COMING," said Head Coach Justin Gilfert.
This was the final game of Adams State's best season to date under Head Coach Justin Gilfert. The Grizzlies will be graduating just two players in Lopez and Fabian Braendle.
