Montezuma-Cortez’s home soccer field has transformed into a fortress.
For a second consecutive outing, the Panthers stunned a ranked opponent at home, using a hat trick from Alden Adams to push past Telluride, 3-1, on Saturday. The Miners (5-3-1) entered the contest ranked second in the most recent 2A poll, but were frustrated all day by stout Panther (3-7) defense. Since an 0-7 start to the campaign, M-CHS has rattled off three straight victories, outscoring opponents 10-2 in that stretch.
M-CHS head coach Dawson Emrich’s formula appeared to be similar to one that stymied Ridgway earlier in the week, as M-CHS came out as the more aggressive of the two squads. While scoring opportunities were limited in the first half-hour of the match, M-CHS started to feel more comfortable using its direct attacking style to keep Telluride’s back line on its heels.
The match sparked to life in the 31st minute, when the ball fell to the feet of Cavin Martinez in the center circle. With space to operate, Martinez carried it up field, drawing in a defender before slotting a perfectly weighted through ball to Adams, who buried a shot in the bottom corner.
The lead could have been doubled moments later when Panthers winger Michael Diaz found Jovanni Vallez in the corner. Vallez sent a dangerous ball into the box, but couldn’t quite pick out Rodrigo Marquez.
Just when it appeared that the Panthers would see their lead into the intermission, the Miners upped the intensity. Warning bells were ringing for the Panther back line after Telluride’s Will Jansen fired a cross to the back post, but Andreas Moorman’s close-range header went over the bar.
The momentary let-off for the Panthers was short-lived, as the Moorman-Jansen connection would pay dividends moments before halftime. Moorman laid off a ball at the top of the box to an onrushing Jansen, who sent a rocket into the bottom corner to tie the contest at 1-1.
Telluride carried the momentum into the start of the second half. Premium opportunities fell to Miner forward Bryce Lambert, but Panther goalkeeper Stevie Fuentes denied the attacks.
As the defense, short a couple of starters for the contest, reorganized itself at the back, the Panthers started to regain a foothold. After earning a corner kick, a foul adjudged against Telluride in the box led to an M-CHS penalty. Adams calmly dispatched the kick into the upper corner, and 58 minutes in, the Panthers again had a lead to defend, 2-1.
And defend they did. Telluride struggled to break down the back line organization of M-CHS, and instead settled for long range shots. With the minutes ticking down and the Miners more frantic, Montezuma-Cortez kept its composure as fullback Tyler Cutrone helped orchestrate the defensive stands.
With the Miners committed to sending numbers forward, M-CHS sealed the win with a late counterattack. Adams sent a cross into the box in search of Marquez, who was brought to ground, yielding another Panther penalty. Adams capped the hat trick with his finish, and the Panthers could celebrate their revenge against a Miner team that had topped them by an identical score line just 11 days earlier.
“It’s been the simple things,” Emrich said of his team’s improvement. “We’ve really emphasized coming out more aggressive. Now that they’ve had that taste of victory, the confidence is really starting to grow.”
“The back line held up well,” said Cutrone, reflecting on how well his team responded to the lineup changes. “We’re really communicating well, and with Stevie (Fuentes) in goal, we really trust one another.”
Of his team’s winning streak, Cutrone reflected, “We haven’t done this in a while, I’m proud of our whole group for stepping up.”
M-CHS looks to continue its winning ways in Bayfield on Sept. 25 for a league meeting against the Wolverines.
