When the final whistle sounded on Oct. 19, signifying the end of a hotly contested contest between the Montezuma-Cortez High School and the Alamosa High School soccer teams, angry looks dotted the faces of several players after the tie game.
The cause of such looks could be traced to the 13th minute of the game when M-CHS forward Aldon Adams gathered in a throw from Bruce Cudkowicz and exploded down the left sideline before drilling a hard shot from an impossible angle into the upper right corner of the net.
As M-CHS players celebrated what appeared to be a spectacular goal, Alamosa manager Cheyenne Sinn engaged in an animated discussion with two referees near her team’s bench in an apparent attempt to get the Panthers’ goal overturned.
After approximately three minutes, officials walked toward M-CHS manager Dawson Emrich and explained that an incorrect signal by one of the officials prior to Cudkowicz’s throw led Alamosa players to set up an offensive play rather than a defensive play.
The officials then waved the Panthers’ goal off and instructed the teams to replay the throw-in along the left sideline. The officials’ reversal of their initial call came approximately six-minutes after the Panthers scored and left numerous Panthers’ players shaking their heads.
“We got robbed,” lamented several M-CHS players during an animated conversation after the contest.
Although many teams would have folded after the early setback, M-CHS managed to keep its composure and eventually seized a 1-0 lead in the 31st minute when Adams scored his 15th goal of the season on a penalty kick that found the lower right corner of the net.
The penalty kick came after pressure by M-CHS forwards forced an Alamosa player to deflect a crossing pass with his hand near his own net.
The handball came approximately 10 minutes after Panthers’ goalkeeper Stevie Fuentes brought home fans to their feet with a brilliant save on a breakaway by Alamosa forward Esteban Antonio, who raced unimpeded toward the net.
Clinging to a one-goal lead and facing constant pressure early in the second half, M-CHS eventually conceded the game’s equalizer in the 48th minute when Alamosa midfielder Jose Mateo-Andres sent a 30-yard crossing pass to the foot of Miguel Guerrero, who hammered the ball into an open net.
A free kick by Adams from 45 yards out in the 80th minute found its way to Alamosa’s goal but was deflected just wide of the left post by Alamosa’s goalkeeper to maintain the 1-1 tie.
After two 10-minute overtime periods failed to result in a goal for either side, the final whistle sounded, signifying the likely end of M-CHS’s season, which began with seven straight losses and ended with six wins and a tie over the team’s final eight games.
“(Our players) had a lot of heart and they were battling and fighting,” Emrich said. “They were doing all those simple things that we’ve been working on and they were out there having fun.”
Finishing its regular season with a 6-8-1 record overall and a 4-1-1 record in the Intermountain League, M-CHS narrowly missed out on an automatic berth to the state playoffs, which was awarded to Alamosa thanks to its status as Intermountain League champion.
Although 20 teams will receive at-large bids to the Class 3A state playoffs, a bid for M-CHS is unlikely given that the Panthers currently sit 41st overall in the RPI rankings for Class 3A.
Even if M-CHS does not qualify for the state playoffs, Emrich emphasized that the team’s turnaround over the course of the season must be commended. The Panthers failed to win a single game last season.
“I’ll remember the boys’ attitude, their fight, and their constant improvement throughout the year,” Emrich said. “(Our chances of making the playoffs) are looking very slight, but at least it’s in the conversation at the end of the year.”