GUNNISON, Colo.  Western Colorado soccer faced a must-win situation Wednesday in its regular season finale. A win would elevate the Mountaineer into the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference playoffs but visiting Fort Lewis College rode an eighth-minute goal to a 1-0 victory that eliminated Western from the tournament chase.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Fort Lewis def. Western, 1-0
Records: Western 4-11-3 overall (4-7-1 RMAC), Fort Lewis 9-3-6 (5-3-4)
Location: Katy O. Rady Field, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Skyhawks' Ann Spence threaded a pass into the box past the final Western defender where FLC's Aubrey Swindle was able to beat Western goalkeeper Mei Hayashizaki to the punch and knock home the only goal of the game on the first shot of the game.
• The Mountaineers immediately generated pressure in their attacking third, eventually getting a shot on frame by Laura Pelino, but FLC's Riley Bravin was able to make the stop to preserve her team's early lead.
• Western had another chance in the 32nd minute, but Sarah Connelly's shot was nabbed by Bravin.
• The Mountaineers would generate four shots in the first half and three more during second half action, but none became the equalizer in a game Western needed to win to bypass FLC in the league standings.

TURF NOTES

• Though the Skyhawks accumulated a total of 18 shots in the afternoon, the Mountaineer defense was able to make most of those attempts non-threatening with only four squeaking through on goal.
• Hayashizaki would finish the game with three saves in the loss, while Bravin would make two in earning the victory.
• Western entered the game in ninth place in the league standings, and with a win over the Skyhawks would have tied them in the standings with 16 points each. The Mountaineers would have earned the nod ahead of FLC on a head-to-head tiebreaker and would have moved to as high as seventh in the standings for the eight-team RMAC postseason tournament.
• Wednesday's game would end up being the final time departing players Hayashizaki, Pelino, Abby Raio and Caileen Sienknecht would don the red and black Mountaineer uniforms.