CORTEZ – A few years ago, then-sophomore Samson Lein received a message from good friend and baseball teammate Evan LaMunyon, one of the attacking standouts on the Panthers soccer team.
“He just texted me one day and said that the soccer team was low on numbers and needed a goalie,” said Lein, “and I thought that sounded fun.”
Working under the guidance of another Montezuma-Cortez High School veteran goalkeeper and baseball teammate Trinidad “LT” McDonnell, Lein learned the ropes. “I had played peewee soccer like a lot of other kids, but stepped away to focus on baseball,” said Lein, “but LT took me under his wing to help me train, so I wasn't coming in completely blind.”
In his senior season, Lein has established himself as one of the top goalkeepers on the Western Slope. Lein has more than 100 saves so far while having played every minute as the last line of the Panthers defense. It can be a lonely position, especially when facing an opponent’s penalty kick, said Lein, but the position and its unique set of rules appealed to him.
“I enjoy feeling different – I get my own jersey,” he said, laughing.
Adjusting to the quick reflexes needed for the position was just one step in his journey. “I knew that I had a disadvantage, because almost every other team we play, their goalkeeper grew up as a soccer player,” said Lein, “and that’s meant I had to pick up things as I went along, like what the other 10 players on the field are supposed to be doing.”
Lein joined the program as third-year head coach Juan Soto took the reins, and since then, the M-CHS program has continued to build numbers, with their 2024 roster expanded to accommodate a full junior varsity roster.
“I think we’re in good hands – Juan’s done a really good job with the program – we’ve got a lot of upcoming players that are going to make this team good for years to come.”
Lein also enjoys his role in the heart of the batting order for the Panthers baseball team, where the first baseman demonstrated his power at the plate and the steady glove for one of the best defensive infields in the region.
“Up until I started playing soccer at M-CHS, baseball had been ‘the thing’ for me – it’s where I’ve devoted my time for the past 15 years,” he said. That included making state in both his 12-and-under days, as well as part of the Panthers roster that broke through for an unprecedented run to the 2023 CHSAA 3A state tournament. His final season for the program awaits this spring when he joins a large group in the Class of 2025 playing in their final year for Panthers.
In the meantime, his soccer days are dwindling as well, as he and the half-dozen senior soccer players will be honored on Friday afternoon on Oct. 11 at M-CHS, where they will play their final home match of the season against Bayfield at 4 p.m.
“When I was younger, looking up to the seniors, I thought it was going to be this high-pressure role – that you have to be perfect – but as I’ve stepped into that role, I’ve learned that I didn’t have to change who I was,” said Lein, “and now goalkeeping is part of who I am, as well.”
