The Pagosa Springs High School Lady Pirate soccer team had its first two matches of the season canceled last week due to a winter storm rolling through the area and causing travel complications.
The Lady Pirates were originally scheduled to face off against the Del Norte Tigers in Del Norte on March 6 and the host Telluride on March 8, with both matches being canceled.
Coach Trevor Gian explained that the match against Del Norte has been rescheduled for April 8 at 4 p.m. in Del Norte, while the match against Telluride has yet to be rescheduled.
The Lady Pirates have shifted their focus to their next two opponents, as they are set to take on the Ignacio Bobcats in Ignacio today, Thursday, March 13, at 4 p.m.
On Saturday, March 15, the Lady Pirates will take on the Buena Vista Demons in Buena Vista at 11 a.m.
Gian mentioned that the Lady Pirates have been “trying to dial in basic strategies and fundamentals” with their extra week of preparation.
He explained the team is working through formations and understanding their roles during set pieces.
For their matchup against Ignacio, Gian is hoping the Lady Pirates come away with a positive result, noting he wants to utilize the game to work on staying compact defensively and shutting off lanes in their opponent’s attack.
Gian also mentioned that Buena Vista looks to be a quality team and that the Lady Pirates will need to slow the pace of the game down while avoiding giving up big gaps in their midfield.
Gian also mentioned the Lady Pirates have “a ton” of returning players, noting there is an understanding that the team is building off of the work put in during last season, “and it’s showing.”
Gian noted that he and his assistant coach, Dyan Rice, “are very impressed with where we’re at starting out the season this year compared to last year.”
He added, “I feel pretty comfortable with the growth. They’ve done a great job incorporating what we learned last year already in the practice.”
Gian also mentioned that with last week’s games being canceled the Lady Pirates are even more eager to compete in their first game of the season.
“I think we’re ready to roll,” he said. “It’s definitely time to get out there and play.”
The Lady Pirates will have a break in action after this weekend, as their season won’t resume until April 5 with a home match against the Montezuma-Cortez Panthers at 11 a.m.
Gian explained that the Lady Pirates will use that break to “iron some things out” before facing a “gauntlet” of games in April.
The Lady Pirates are scheduled to play a total of 11 games from April 5 through May 2.
clayton@pagosasun.com
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