Opening its season at home against Pagosa Springs on March 7, the Montezuma-Cortez High School girls soccer put on an impressive offensive display and booted its way to an 8-0 victory.
M-CHS’ eight goals marked the most that the Lady Panthers had scored since 2010.
“We showed that we can score goals and we can work well as a team,” said M-CHS head coach Sean Fitzgerald. “It was a good start for us.”
While several Lady Panthers players played major roles in the team’s offensive attack, no individual played a larger role than junior midfielder Gabby Wolf, who scored three goals and had one assist.
Also playing a key role for M-CHS was junior forward Weslie Kirks, who scored two goals and used outstanding speed to consistently compromise the Pagosa Springs defense.
“I thought we played well,” said Kirks. “Everybody did a good job of passing the ball and finding open space. It was a nice way to start our season.”
The Lady Panthers opened their scoring in the game’s 12th minute when sophomore midfielder Cassidy Leonard fired a pretty through-ball to sophomore Rylee Lindsley, whose low shot from the left side of the box found the right corner of the net.
Seven minutes later, Wolf collected a pass from junior defender Nicole Kibel, dribbled past three defenders and fired a hard shot on goal from the left side of the box. After Wolf’s shot ricocheted off the Pirates goalkeeper, the junior calmly collected the rebound and fired a shot under the crossbar to put M-CHS ahead 2-0.
“Pagosa’s goalie made a nice save on my first shot, but I was able to pick up the rebound and score,” said Wolf. “(Nicole) helped set me up with a nice pass.”
M-CHS’s final goal of the first half came from Kirks, who dribbled down the left side and fired a crossing pass from the left side that glanced off the right goal post and into the net.
Kirks put the Lady Panthers ahead 4-0 four minutes into the second half after intercepting a goal kick and firing a shot past the Pirates goalkeeper.
A successful goal kick by Wolf after Pagosa Springs was called for a handball in their own box put M-CHS ahead 5-0, and an own goal by the Pirates in the game’s 56th minute put M-CHS ahead 6-0.
M-CHS capped off its scoring with a goal from Wolf in the 78th minute, and a goal from senior Abby Truelsen in the 80th minute, which was set up by a pretty pass from Kibel.
With their record now at 1-0-0 on the season, the Lady Panthers will prepare for road matchups against Grand Junction (March 13) and Grand Junction Central (March 14).
“We still need to work on our passing and communication,” Fitzgerald said. “There are always things that we can do to improve.”
