CORTEZ – To say that the Intermountain League girls soccer title chase will be wide-open might be a drastic understatement.
Of the 12 matches contested between the IML competitors last spring, only two of them were decided by a difference of more than one goal. Five of the contests ended in draws, of which the Panthers took part in three.
With such narrow margins, second-year head coach Melody Harris knows that her Panthers’ opportunity to stake their claim will require them to focus on doing the little things well. M-CHS enters Friday’s league opener against Alamosa brimming with confidence, off to the program’s hottest start in 15 years thanks to wins over Telluride and Ignacio over the past five days.
A 1-0 win over Telluride on Mar. 27 helped set the tone for the important weekend ahead, with freshman Di’Nya Manuel scoring the lone goal of the match. It marked the first time since 2016 that the Panthers upended the Miners.
Then, the Panthers battled an April Fool’s Day wintry squall against the Bobcats, and while the pelting snow made it difficult to see, a relentless M-CHS attack could happily watch the ball punching the back of the net in their 7-0 victory.
Senior Jordi Mahler tallied her first goals since 2023 after having missed her junior campaign due to injury, scoring a brace in the win. Manual also added a pair of goals, while classmate Mia Glazner tallied her second goal of the season.
“We’ve got an attacking mindset,” said Harris after the snowy victory, “and we have so many girls that are capable of scoring goals for us.”
A pair of Panthers collected their first high school tallies against Ignacio, as freshman Kyndall Schmitt and sophomore Kaybree Smith both hit the target in the rout.
“The girls are really figuring out the formation that we’ve been working on in practice,” added Harris, as the Panthers lean on a strong midfield to create chances for their potent attack.
All told, the Panthers head into the IML’s opening weekend with the belief that they can contend for the crown. With just one goal conceded through three matches, M-CHS hopes to continue their run with stout defense, with seniors Emily Howell and Halee Kibel in the central defense in front of senior goalkeeper Aubrey Rutherford.
“There’s still room for growth, whether it's with finishing our chances or building out of the back and making combination passes,” said Harris, “but the potential is definitely there.”
M-CHS will lean on their home field support as they face the Mean Moose at 11 a.m. on Friday, Apr. 4, followed by a trip to Pagosa Springs the next day for another 11 a.m. opening kickoff. It’s part of a string of three matches in five days against IML competition, with Bayfield waiting on Tuesday, Apr. 8 for another high stakes match.
