CORTEZ – Through an incredible season, the M-CHS girls soccer team rode a tidal wave of excitement that only seemed to gain strength with each passing week.
While their season came to an abrupt halt in an 3A state tournament opening round loss to Roaring Fork on Thursday, their place in the school’s archives has been firmly cemented. In front of a home postseason crowd for the first time in at least two decades, the Panthers fell 8-2 to the Rams in their final action of the season, which served as the curtain call for a group of influential seniors.
No. 14 M-CHS (9-2-3) entered the contest on a nine-match unbeaten streak, but No. 19 Roaring Fork (8-5-3) scored twice in the opening 20 minutes from senior Carley Crownhart and sophomore Riley Bevington to put the Panthers on their heels.
Senior Emily Howell gave the Panthers life in the 24th minute, as she launched a free kick from 35 yards out over the head of the Rams goalkeeper to cut the deficit to 2-1. The home team’s newfound energy was short-lived, however, as the Bevington responded with a goal sixty seconds later to restore the two-goal advantage.
The visitors added two more scores right before halftime to build a 5-1 lead, but M-CHS wouldn’t go quietly. Freshman Kyndall Schmitt scored the Panthers’ second set piece goal of the match on a laser from just outside the penalty area in the 51st minute to once again give M-CHS a spark.
The Rams wouldn’t let the Panthers gain any more ground, however, as both Crownhart and Bevington completed hat tricks to push the final margin to six goals. Roaring Fork moves on to face Western Slope League rival No. 3 Delta (16-0), who bounced No. 30 Elizabeth in the opening round.
M-CHS capped off one of their winningest seasons in program history, earning the rare opportunity to host their playoff match, while building the foundation for a team with a bright future. However, more than half of the Panthers to see action in their season finale were underclassmen, boding well for the program to continue making inroads toward becoming a Western Slope power.
Seven seniors – Howell, Halee Kibel, Jordlan Mahler, Luna Moore, Reyaunna Jones, Sophie Wright, and Jetzabelht Cano Aguilar – saw their high school soccer careers come to a close. Their career spans included two IML titles, three winning seasons and a trio of postseason appearances.
