A near four-hour drive provides ample time for Damian Clarke to perfect his pitch to woo the best soccer talent in Albuquerque that opens its door to the Fort Lewis College women's head coach.

It's time well spent.

Gabrielle Sandoval, a first-team All-State goalkeeper from La Cueva High School, gave the NCAA Division II rising power her autograph at the bottom of a national letter-of-intent on Friday, joining 11 other Albuquerque standouts who will call Durango — and Colorado — their home.

Sandoval joins forward Julia Thompson of Sandia Prep and midfielder Emily Walters of Eldorado, who signed with the Skyhawks in February.

Fort Lewis has been harvesting New Mexico talent for the past decade, which Clarke has been a part of —first as an assistant, then as head coach.

Clarke completed his fourth season in charge in November 2010, guiding the Skyhawks to their best season.

For starters, they captured the school's first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular-season championship. They followed with another first, the NCAA Division II Central Region title, and capped their 18-3-2 season with a appearance in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division II Tournament.

Along the way, Fort Lewis climbed to third in the national rankings. The Skyhawks garnered a final ranking of seven in the NSCAA/HendrickCars.com poll.

The Skyhawks must replace six seniors.

Enter the 505.

And not just the Class of 2011.

Elena Benavides of Sandia Prep, Sara Egbom of Hope Christian, Therese Romero of Sandia and Lauren Riley of La Cueva contributed to last season's success.

Clarke expects Thompson, Sandoval and Walters to make their marks.

"She is a lengthy and very fast and very technical player who has excellent balance and body control," Clarke says of Thompson. "She will impact the team immediately."

Sandoval brings athleticism and championship pedigree to her position, while there is grit and go in Walters.

"She is a tough player who has a great engine and likes to do the blue-collar work on the field," Clarke says. "She will fit in nicely with the mentality that has built this program."

The Skyhawks' drive is a key ingredient in their recipe of success.

So, too, is Clarke's.

Particularly, the one that lasts four hours.