Lady Panthers score third win of the season

M-CHS girls soccer team defeats Alamosa, 2-0

After five straight losses, the Montezuma-Cortez High School girls soccer team broke through with its third win of the season last weekend.

The Lady Panthers victory came at home over Alamosa on April 18 thanks to second-half goals by Nichole Kibel and Rylee Lindsley.

M-CHS’s first goal came after Alamosa was called for a hand ball inside the box and Kibel scored on the subsequent penalty kick.

The Lady Panthers second goal of the game came after forward Weslie Kirks sent a pretty cross into the box and Lindsley banged the ball home.

“We switched up our offense a little, so we had more forwards,” said M-CHS assistant coach Gina Sturdevant. “We got a couple of chances and we were able to convert.”

M-CHS’s win followed a 4-0 home loss to Fruita Monument on April 17, which featured three first-half goals by the Wildcats.

Sturdevant said that despite the lopsided final score however, the game was mostly competitive.

“Fruita is always very physical,” the assistant coach said. “Their first two goals were unfortunate. On the first goal, the girl was offside, and on the second goal, the (official) called a bad foul and gave them a penalty kick.”

Next up for M-CHS will be a home game against Grand Junction Central on April 25.

“We’ve been playing more a defense-oriented system, but against Central, I expect us to attack,” said Sturdevant. “I felt like we played a lot better last weekend.”