The Pagosa Springs High School Lady Pirate soccer team wrapped up its season this last week after being eliminated from the state playoffs in the first round.
On Thursday, May 8, the Lady Pirates traveled to Denver to take on the No. 1-ranked team and defending state champion in the state’s 3A division, Colorado Academy. The Lady Pirates entered the playoffs as the No. 32 team in the state.
The Lady Pirates gave up 10 goals after a total of 67 minutes being played, triggering the sport’s mercy rule.
Coach Trevor Gian explained that the Lady Pirates knew they would be going up against “a tough team,” describing Colorado Academy a “very quality” opponent.
“It was good to see, good for us to get a chance to play,” Gian said, explaining the Lady Pirates did not have a playoff spot confirmed until the morning of Sunday, May 4.
Gian mentioned that the Lady Pirates tried to keep things “light” and had a little bit of a different pregame approach with the team going out for lunch and getting to explore Denver.
Gian added that there were no “real expectations” going into the matchup “besides giving it everything we have and just having a positive attitude no matter what happened.”
Gian mentioned it was important for the Lady Pirates to have the “right mindset” going into the match, understanding that having the chance to compete in a playoff match is a privilege that not every team gets.
Gian noted that losing a match like that can lead to things turning negative quickly and that it was important to understand that the team “well earned … the opportunity just to go.”
Lady Pirate goalkeepers Kiera Davis made 17 saves on the day, and Hailey Sams made four saves.
Additional stats for the game were not available as of press time Wednesday.
The Lady Pirates finished the season with an overall record of 6-7, including a league mark of 2-4, which earned them third place in the Intermountain League (IML),
Gian explained that one of the main goals at the beginning of the season was to put in quality performances and earn points in their IML games.
“Which we definitely accomplished,” he said, adding that it is “awesome to know we could play with those teams.”
Gian also commented that the Lady Pirates had two “hard-fought wins” against the Bayfield Wolverines during the season, noting that is “something to grow on.”
Alamosa finished first in the IML, followed by Montezuma-Cortez in second place. All three IML teams that qualified for the state playoffs were eliminated in the first round.
The Lady Pirates last qualified for the state playoffs in 2019, which Gian explained is a testament to the growth of the program since he took charge in 2024.
Gian added that he hopes to “keep making steps forward” with the Lady Pirate soccer program in building a strong foundation.
“Making the playoffs was a really, really great thing … especially for a lot of those seniors,” Gian added. “We’re gonna miss all the seniors.”
The Lady Pirates had seven seniors on the roster this year, with one junior who will be graduating early. Those players were: Davis, Sams, Elizabeth Currier, Caroline Simon, Adison Johnson, Morgan Galloway, Kailey Keyes and Sophia Sottek.
“The legacy they’re leaving behind is looking pretty good,” Gian added.
Gian mentioned that it was a tough season for the Lady Pirates, with a lot of games played in a short amount of time, but he praised the seniors, saying he’s “really, really proud of the senior’s leadership, their attitudes. We’re gonna miss ‘em, for sure.”
He added, “We’re just really proud of what they showed, how they helped hold the team together.”
According to stats entered into MaxPreps, Sams led the Lady Pirates in goals this season, tallying a total of nine goals scored, followed by Currier with eight goals and Tatiana Monterroso scoring seven.
Ellie Vining led the Lady Pirates in assists with a total of four on the season, followed by Terriana Cage and Johnson both with three assists.
Davis made a total of 138 saves on the season, averaging 10.6 saves per match.
Gian also commented on what he is looking for from the Lady Pirates going into next season, noting the program has had “good interest” from underclassmen down to the middle school level.
Gian mentioned that he’ll be looking to this year’s juniors to step up into a senior leadership role while looking to “just keep building off the foundation we’ve set.”
He explained that players on the junior varsity team this year put in “fantastic efforts,” which he hopes will carry over to the varsity level.
Gian also noted that he does not have a ton of expectations specifically on wins and losses, “but just progressing as a program.”
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