The Montezuma-Cortez girls soccer program closed out its 2019 campaign more than 1,090 days ago.
Then, the Panthers soccer field fell silent.
Nearly three years later, after two seasons without a match, M-CHS capped a surprising revival, knocking off Pagosa Springs 1-0 on Tuesday – Senior Day – to ensure the Panthers at least a share of the 3A Intermountain League title.
The past 14 months for M-CHS girls athletic programs will rank among some of the best spans in school history. Three M-CHS squads have collected league titles, including an outright volleyball title in spring 2021 and a shared softball title this fall in the 3A Western Slope League.
To go from zero to a championship required the full commitment of an unlikely crew of athletes. Many hadn’t played a competitive soccer match in years. Some hadn’t played competitively their entire lives.
First-year head coach Reese Smith managed to draw out numbers that the Panthers program hadn't seen in years, and from there, the Panthers (6-4, 5-1 3A IML) honed in on the fundamentals. An influx of young talent elevated expectations, and soon the Panthers developed a style of flowing ball movement that flummoxed their opponents.
The result – five straight wins, including an impressive 2-1 road win over Alamosa that achieved a season split with the Mean Moose and set the stage for Tuesday's opportunity to capture at least a share of the IML title.
Against Pagosa Springs (4-6, 0-5 3A IML), M-CHS started brightly, working the channels to slide in behind the Pirates’ back four.
Less than 10 minutes into the match, Panthers forward Jordi Mahler tested Pagosa Springs goalkeeper Trista Tulley from a sharp angle. Tulley was able to palm the shot away.
But the barrage of shots continued moments later, when Panthers senior midfielder Allie Kibel broke free on the right side and fired a low rocket straight at Tulley. Emily Howell added more firepower, but her shot whistled wide of Tulley's goal post in the 11th minute.
It was only a matter of time.
With one of the best sequences of the season, Kibel linked up with Sophia Shepard, who took her first touch with her right foot to slide behind her defender to open up space at the top of the box. Shepard raced in, fired low to the right corner, and gave the Panthers their deserved lead in the 12th minute.
M-CHS had numerous chances in the next quarter-hour to double their advantage, with Shepard forcing Tulley into a diving save in the 25th minute.
After hemming in the Pirates for most of the first half, M-CHS nearly paid for their lost chances. The Pirates’ best threat came off a corner kick in the 33rd minute. The ball rattled around the box before Panthers goalkeeper Aubrey Rutherford smothered it.
After celebrating their senior class at halftime, Smith's Panthers resumed the pressure in the second half, with Kibel coming closest on a free kick in the 47th minute that zipped past the upper 90 of Tulley’s goal.
Kayla Edwards smashed a powerful header off a corner kick a couple of minutes later but couldn't direct it on target. Meanwhile, the Panthers’ back four made sure that Pagosa Springs’ touches were few. The Pirates never truly threatened in the second stanza, and as the final whistle sounded, the Panthers could celebrate the program’s incredible achievement.
M-CHS could win the league outright if Alamosa fails to beat both Bayfield and Pagosa Springs next week, but in the meantime, the Panthers will look to wrap up the regular season in style, as they travel to Del Norte on Thursday before hosting Ignacio on Friday, April 29, at 4 p.m.
