The Pagosa Springs High School Pirate boys’ soccer team has jumped above .500 for the first time this season with a tie and a win last week.
The Pirates, now 2-1-1, are ranked 22nd in 3A after a tie with Manitou Springs and a win over James Irwin last week.
The week started with a trip to Manitou Springs on Friday, Sept. 11. Coming into the game, coach Trevor Gian explained he knew that the Mustangs would be a good test for his Pirates and that the key to the game was starting fast and not falling behind early.
While the game ended in a 0-0 tie, Gian noted that there was a lot of back-and-forth action throughout the game.
“Manitou [is a] very, very good team— physical, well-organized, well-coached,” Gian said. “I wouldn’t mind playing them again one day. 0-0 is the result there. They had some opportunities. I felt like we had some real chances to maybe take a win in that game. Again, the team’s all-around effort was phenomenal.”
Gian mentioned after the game that there was a pretty significant no-call that should have resulted in a red card for the Mustangs.
Ryder King was tackled from behind on a breakaway and Gian explained he felt that it deserved to be a foul, but the referees determined that there was no foul on the play.
The Pirates also had a penalty kick taken away from them, with Gian explaining King was taken down in the box and the center referee awarded the Pirates a penalty kick, but the line judge determined that King took a dive and waved off the penalty kick.
“After a conversation with the center, he took it away, said it wasn’t even a foul, it was a dive,” Gian said. “Knowing Ryder King and the player and the person he is, that’s just not going to happen.”
After the game, Gian noted that he and the team were pretty frustrated, but even in frustration he acknowledged that his players did a great job of bottling their emotions up and continuing to play hard.
Regardless, the game ended in a 0-0 tie, and the Pirates were set to face James Irwin the next day.
On Saturday, Sept. 12, the Pirates traveled to Colorado Springs for a game against James Irwin, a team they hadn’t played in more than 15 years.
After such an emotional and physical game the day before, the boys came out a bit flat, noted Gian.
“We dictated the pace of play,” he said. “We dictated possession. Everything we’ve been talking about doing. And we were just lacking a little bit of that second gear to start. You know, the boys were tired. The team was tired, again, emotionally probably, and physically.”
After 40 minutes the Pirates led 1-0. At half, Gian explained, he told his team to go out and finish the road trip strong and get all of their frustration out.
The Pirates went out in the final 40 minutes and outscored the Jaguars 4-0, eventually winning the game 5-0.
“I think if I had left all the starters in, we would have took our frustration out of that; not to knock James Irwin in any way,” said Gian. “They had quality players [and a] great coach. We were just — we had something to prove here. And the boys did it.”
A game after being involved in two controversial calls, King scored four goals against James Irwin.
Xavi Sanchez had the remaining goal, and Ethan Bracken, Niilo Pietila, Hudson Davis, Ryder Davis and Edgar Castillo each had an assist.
This week, the Pirates will host Alamosa on Friday, Sept. 18, beginning at 4 p.m.
The Mean Moose, who are 0-3, are ranked 62nd in 3A currently, but Gian noted he still anticipates a physical, challenging match.
“I know their record kind of is what it is, but league matches, division plays, always tough,” Gian said.
The Pirates will open up the following week with an away match at Bayfield on Monday, Sept. 21, beginning at 5 p.m.
The Wolverines are 2-4-1 and ranked 52nd in 3A.
jsellner@orourkemediagroup.com
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