The Pagosa Springs High School Pirate boys’ soccer team fell to Montezuma-Cortez in a one-goal game Thursday, Sept. 24, ending their five-game unbeaten streak.
The Pirates hosted the Panthers Thursday, Sept. 24, for their first game in their back-to-back set.
Pirate coach Trevor Gian emphasized that the field conditions “were not ideal” due to the rain and weather leading up to the game and that they were “lucky to get the game in.”
The first 40 minutes of the game were described by Gian as a back-and-forth battle where each team had their opportunities, but, ultimately, the half ended in a 0-0 stalemate.
“I think field conditions created a type of game I would not like us to be in most of the time,” Gian said. “You know, kind of back and forth, the control, the touches on the ball with the wet field and muddy conditions kind of influenced a little bit of how we were attacking the game there.”
The Panthers opened up the scoring in the game early in the second half with a goal off of a corner kick.
Despite the Pirates’ inability to control the game the way they wanted, Gian emphasized that the boys kept fighting and eventually tied the game up with 10 minutes left in the second half.
The goal by Angel Ramirez got the crowd back into the game, noted Gian, and the environment felt like that of a playoff game.
Unfortunately, three minutes after the Pirates scored the tying goal, the Panthers got one of their forwards isolated with the keeper and he buried the ball in the back of the net to give the Panthers’ their second one-goal lead of the game.
“I know our team was tired, exhausted, probably emotionally,” Gian said. “Going through those emotions, going down, tying it, going back down, now having to push and claw your way back into it at the end and, unfortunately, we just came up a little short.”
After the game, Gian emphasized that the game could have gone either way and that he is excited for their next matchup.
On Saturday, Oct. 3, the two teams will square off again, this time in Cortez.
After the first game, the Pirates sit at 4-2-1 and are ranked 25th in 3A, while the Panthers are 8-2 and ranked eighth in 3A.
Gian explained he believes that quality possession is the key to victory on Saturday.
He noted he felt that his team wasn’t able to possess the ball to the standard that he desires on Thursday because of the field conditions.
Gian added he also wants his team to limit the Panthers’ set pieces because they have some taller players.
“I hope field conditions are good, the weather’s good, so we can kind of play our game and see where we’re at there,” he said. “I feel comfortable and confident in the response of our team, what we’re going to bring to the table there and, again, I anticipate a tough, hard-fought battle.”
jsellner@orourkemediagroup.com
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