Standing five feet behind the ball before the most important goal kick of her high school career, Montezuma-Cortez High School freshman McKenzie Howerton took a deep breath and tried to calm her mind.
Then, with stunning precision, the first-year forward approached the ball and fired a perfect shot into the lower left corner of the goal to break a 2-2 tie and help the Lady Panthers secure a 3-2 victory over Alamosa on April 29.
“It was really stressful because I knew that I had to make that goal in order for us to win the game,” Howerton said. “I just tried to be calm and put (the ball) in the back of the net.”
Howerton’s game-winning goal followed several highlight-reel plays from the Lady Panthers, which included the game’s opening goal in the 11th minute when Brittney Hampton fired a pass to Madi Archuleta, who subsequently scored from the left side of the box.
“I saw Brittney with (the ball), and I had a good shot, so I called for (the ball) and it just went right in,” Archuleta said. “My shot bounced off the goalie’s hands.”
After Alamosa tied the game 1-1 with a score in the 17th minute on a goal by Katie Parkins, Archuleta sent a perfect through ball toward Hampton, who maneuvered around Alamosa’s hard-charging goalie with one dribble before firing a hard shot into the back of the net.
“I just took a single touch and shot,” said Hampton, describing the score. “I tried to shoot low.”
Parkins scored her second goal of the game in the 31st minute to tie the score, 2-2, and for the remainder of the first half and much of the second half, the game hung in the balance.
Then, with roughly 10 minutes left in the game, M-CHS senior defender Cassidy Leonard was whistled for a hand ball much to the dismay of head coach Nathan Ross, who voiced his frustration with the questionable call.
M-CHS goalie Elena Cosner came through bigtime on the ensuing free kick however, when she punched a hard free kick by Alamosa’s Katie Gallegos into the air to keep the ball out of the net and preserve the 2-2 tie.
“(Gallegos) was striking the ball well all game and (Cosner) came up time and time again with good saves,” Ross said. “(Cosner) had good strong hands and good footwork today.”
When the final whistle finally sounded, several Lady Panthers players let out jubilant cheers while numerous local fans in attendance voiced their appreciation of the M-CHS team’s effort.
“This was by far our best game at home,” Ross said. “(Alamosa) beat us 4-2 at their house and we dominated this game from the get go. We played the kind of soccer that I know we can play and I’m just proud of how the girls played. This is one of those wins that you treasure.”
Now 6-7 overall and 4-5 in the Intermountain League, the Lady Panthers will return to the practice field to prepare for their final game of the season, which will take place at home against Bayfield on May 2.
“I’m looking forward to Bayfield,” Ross said. “They’re going to come in and we’re going to give them a fight and play our soccer and come out with a win.”