Box Score

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Defending NCAA Division II national champion Fort Lewis College (3-3-0 overall, 2-0-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) shut out Mesa State College tonight in men's soccer action at Walker Field.

"We played very well tonight," said second-year head coach Oige Kennedy.

Junior Joe Barnd and freshman Jordan Alexander scored early goals as the Skyhawks raced out to a 2-0 halftime lead en route to the victory.

Barnd converted a free kick just 12:32 into the game to give the Skyhawks the lead. "He bent a kick around the wall and into the net," said Kennedy. "We've been working on that lately."

The second goal wasn't nearly as pretty. Mesa State goalkeeper Chris Raines kicked the ball, but it ricochetted off Alexander into the net at 35:56 — just 2:20 after Alexander had entered the game as a substitute.

"Jordan's done very well," said Kennedy. "He's been limited in the minutes he's had because he's a freshman, but he has a knack for putting it in the goal."

Thomas Hoang finished the scoring at 78:32 with a goal that was set up by the passing of Abdel Becerra and Byron Cephers, both of whom received assists.

Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Nate Bell made two saves to notch his first collegiate shutout.

The Skyhawks outshot the Mavericks (4-3-0, 0-3-0) 14-7 overall and 7-2 in shots-on-goal.

Fort Lewis continues its three-game road trip at Adams State (0-5-0, 0-2-0) at 3 p.m. Friday and at UC-Colorado Springs (1-6-0, 0-3-0) at noon Sunday.