The Montezuma-Cortez Lady Panthers open their 2016 soccer season in a home contest against Crested Butte on Friday.
After taking last year off, Nate Ross returns as head coach, with Kenna Tarr as his assistant. Both are familiar with the program, as Ross first began coaching with the high school team in 2005, and Tarr – a 2014 graduate – played for the Lady Panthers.
Ross and Tarr have good numbers to work with, getting over 20 players out. And Ross pointed to seniors Nichole Kibel and Gabby Wolf as two of the team’s key players; both of whom recently signed to play collegiate soccer at West Texas A&M University next season.
“Those two girls in particular have something to prove,” Ross said. “But they’re the type of girls that live up to and meet expectations when people have them.”
Ross also mentioned Weslie Kirks, Rylee Lindsley, Brittany Hampton and Cassidy Leonard as integral players, as well as Stevee Brenner, who he said will probably be stepping in as goalkeeper.
“They’re our core,” he said. “They’re going to be the glue that makes everything stick for us. And they’ve been with me since they were 11 years old, so they know what I expect and they know what system I like to run, and they’re going to have a breakout year.”
Ross expects the team to be well rounded. And with great defenders, scorers and distributors, he has the ability to move players around. But defense, he said, will be the key.
“You have to know how to play good defense,” he said. “Whether it’s individual defense or team defense. And we’re going to be trying two or three different formations to see if we can throw some of these larger schools off.”
The Panthers will compete in the Class 4A/5A Southwestern league for the last time before dropping down to Class 3A next season. After going 5-10 last year, Ross said the team is aiming to get over the .500 mark in the competitive league.
“In past years we’ve been second to last place or last place in the league,” he said. “I’d like to be more in the middle of the pack. I want to see these girls have success in that 4A/5A league, especially these seniors, because they’ve played in that league forever.”
Another goal of Ross’ is to eventually play at the new field adjacent to the new high school.
But to start, the Panthers will continue competition at Johnson Field, where they will host Crested Butte on Friday at 5 p.m.