CORTEZ – There are many times when the Panthers success on the soccer pitch would belie their youth.
While Montezuma-Cortez has endured several bumps along the road this fall, head coach Juan Soto’s squad continues to grow in confidence as the season passes the halfway point.
Wins have come along with the improvements, as the Panthers bumped their record to 2-7-1 after back-to-back busy weekends. The Panthers posted a win over St. Michael’s (New Mexico) in a tournament at Rehoboth Christian, while senior midfielder Raul Soto continues to run rampant for M-CHS this season.
A pair of losses in IML play, including a tight 2-0 defeat at the hands of Alamosa, capped a stretch of five matches in nine days for the Panthers. Raul Soto has accounted for over half the team’s goals this year, including a dominant performance in a 4-1 win over the Cardinals in their foray into the Land of Enchantment.
M-CHS (2-7-1, 0-4 3A Southwest League) started the season with a roster full of first-time starters, but the team continues to gel on the field, with different Panthers emerging into new leadership roles this season. Sophomore Kayson Green tallied a goal in a match against Pagosa Springs, where the Panthers owned a 2-1 lead into the second half, only to see the Pirates steal the contest with a late flurry.
Junior Samson Lein has been active this year keeping the Panthers in contests, as the netminder has averaged nearly double-digit saves per contest. Classmates Ben Hoffman and Abraham Hafner have been steady impact players for Soto’s group, joining sophomores Josh Yarbrough, Parley Smith and Green as some of the premier supporting attackers for Soto.
M-CHS has scored better than a goal per match, and junior Atticus Keel – provider of an assist this season – has been an anchor for the Panther back line.
The Panthers opened the season with a solid 1-1 draw against perennial 2A state title contender Ridgway, and then followed it up with a win over Bloomfield, 3-2. A bundle of freshmen have seen significant pitch time for the Panthers in the subsequent stretch of matches, led by Koyle Martinez and Coulter Weyand.
Now the homestretch will be just that – a finishing salvo on their home field – with M-CHS taking on Telluride on Saturday, Sept. 30, before matches against Grand Junction Central (Oct. 6), Alamosa (Oct. 12), and Bayfield (Oct. 17) wrap up the regular season.
