For lengthy stretches of their opening round match Thursday against Delta in the 3A soccer postseason, the Montezuma-Cortez Panthers looked like they had no intent of giving ground to the No. 6 team in the state.
M-CHS struck first, and came achingly close to finishing off Delta in the opening round of the playoffs, only to see the host Panthers score in the 70th minute, and again in the 90th to reverse a 1-0 deficit and turn it into a 2-1 Delta victory to end M-CHS’ season.
No. 27 seed Montezuma-Cortez (9-5-2) carried the confidence of a team that could play with Delta, having lost to the Panthers 2-0 during a hard-fought regular season encounter. With improvements from up top and in the back line, M-CHS aimed to turn their rematch into a battle with few clear chances.
The hosts generated the game’s first real opportunity in the fourth minute, as freshman striker Jaycee Christie looked to volley a cross from just outside the 6-yard box. However, M-CHS sophomore goalkeeper Aubrey Rutherford collected the mishit to keep the contest scoreless.
Sophomore Jordi Mahler registered M-CHS’ first shot of the match in the 11th minute, driving a low ball from 25 yards out. The M-CHS threat set up a period of pressure for head coach Reese Smith’s, as the No. 27 seed looked like the more likely team to score over the next 15 minutes. Senior Sophia Shepard took aim from a long-range free kick, kept out by sophomore goalkeeper Julia Nelson.
The best attempt of the first half came moments later from sophomore Emily Howell, who evaded a pair of Delta defenders and ripped a vicious right-footed effort just wide of the upper 90 in the 25th minute.
In the 31st minute, Delta (13-3) started to swing momentum back their way, sending a dangerous ball across the box. For a few nervous moments, the ball rattled around the area, before the Panthers managed to clear.
Junior Grace Darrin saved the day in the 33rd, facing junior forward Alex Hirsch in a one-on-one battle just outside the penalty area. Darrin intervened with a critical tackle, denying Hirsch a clean look at goal. In spite of giving up a series of corner kicks in the dying minutes of the first half, the visiting Panthers had plenty to be confident of heading into the intermission in a goaless affair.
Rutherford made her biggest intervention of the match up that point in the 47th minute, as Hirsch broke free on a through ball and only faced the sophomore goalkeeper charging hard near the penalty spot. Rutherford got just enough of Hirsch’s shot to deflect it wide of net.
Rutherford collected a calmer save on a long-range shot from junior Aylin Bayles to help M-CHS weather the early second half flurry.
With Delta controlling possession in the second half, M-CHS keyed a counterattack in the 55th minute when junior midfielder Anna Jenson collected a through-ball 30 yards from goal, before turning, dribbling to establish space, then firing into the top left corner of the net to give M-CHS the lead.
After the Jenson goal, Delta ramped up the pressure, with Hirsch striking the Rutherford’s left post in the 68th minute. On their seventh corner kick of the evening, Delta’s Hirsch punched home a ball from 10 yards out to knot the score.
M-CHS turned away Delta late in regulation to force the golden-goal extra time, where Delta controlled much of the extra session. Late in the period, Rutherford charged off her line to clear a ball outside her box from a hard-charging Delta attacker, only to commit a foul that would see her cautioned and having to step off the field.
Delta took advantage of the M-CHS keeper’s absence, firing a lofting free kick from 30 yards out into the corner of the goal and sending the home-standing Delta into celebration.
M-CHS graduates a resilient senior class from a program that went from no team at all for two years to post back-to-back winning seasons, two IML titles, and appearances in the state tournament.
Delta advances to the second round of the 3A state tournament to take on No. 11 Eagle Ridge Academy, who defeated No. 22 Timnath in their playoff opener.
