Missing several key players as a result of injuries and still adapting to new head coach Sam Edgerton’s style, the Montezuma-Cortez High School girls soccer team lost its home opener to Crested Butte, 2-0.
Affecting the Lady Panthers on March 16 was the absence of junior midfielder Codi Archuleta and senior midfielder Josie Sitton, who were out with injuries.
Consequently, M-CHS struggled to generate scoring chances as Crested Butte’s offense controlled the ball in the Lady Panthers defensive zone for most of the game.
“We had a lot of injuries, and our lineups have changed two or three times between the last two games,” first-year head coach Sam Edgerton said. “We have a really young team, and we’re still getting to know each other out there.”
Among the positive aspects for M-CHS was the performance of junior goalkeeper Elena Cosner, who made several impressive saves and stopped 17 of 19 shots on goal.
Also encouraging was the play of M-CHS defenders, who, despite being under consistent pressure, cleared several dangerous balls away from their net and kept Crested Butte’s scoring to a minimum.
“We brought in some younger players who don’t really know the (defensive) positions, and they did a lot of learning and they did really well,” Cosner said. “They were really good at clearing the ball, and they did a lot of talking and stayed on their marks.”
Crested Butte’s first goal came in the 11th minute, when junior Tess Fenetry collected a loose ball at the top of the Lady Panthers’ box and fired a hard shot through Cosner’s hands into the middle of the net.
Crested Butte’s second goal came four minutes into the second half, when junior Ellia Pannier forced a turnover deep in M-CHS territory and chipped the ball just under the cross bar for the score.
M-CHS’ best scoring opportunities came when sophomore McKenzie Howerton fired long free kicks on goal in the 60th minute and 67th minute that were stopped by junior goalkeeper Rachel Potoker.
Now 1-1-0 on the season, the Lady Panthers will return to practice in preparation for a home contest against Telluride, which is scheduled to take place on March 20.