Lady ’Cats almost spoil guests’ shutout 

The Crested Butte Community School JV defender knew she’d been caught red-handed. 

Probably literally, too; her right palm may have been stinging somewhat after she’d instinctively – albeit incorrectly – swatted down Ignacio’s attempt at chipping a pass overhead and deep into the visitors’ 18-yard box late in the first half of the teams’ encounter Friday afternoon, March 28. 

And in the 10-v-10 (agreed to by both coaches before kickoff) match, the hosting Lady Bobcats looked to their own No. 10 to potentially get them on the scoreboard. Awarded a 30th-minute free kick just outside the aforementioned perimeter’s ‘elbow,’ 20 yards away from Lady Titan goalkeeper Ella Davis’ right, sophomore Maliyah Martinez put a solid shot on target but was denied as freshman Davis tracked its trajectory all the way. 

It would, unluckily for Ignacio’s varsity, be the only save she needed to make. 

And CBCS, perhaps reawakened by the close call, promptly tacked on freshman Siri Wight’s 36th-minute goal plus freshman Jessica DeRoche’s in the 38th to expand their lead to 7-0 before halftime began at IHS Field. Senior Kate Duryea then knocked in a second-chance score in the 48th minute, and classmate Kaitlin Rasmussen split two defenders in the 57th to win a 1-v-1 skirmish with IHS junior goalie Bella Lorenzini. 

Illustrating Ignacio’s willingness to finish the match in full, freshman Amiyah Martinez – victim already of a hard, but clean 43rd-minute slide-tackle which required her removal from play for a few relieving minutes – received a breath-taking Crested Butte boot barely above her beltline late in the action but was able to remain on the pitch. 

But the day ultimately belonged to the enemy. Playing in admittedly just her second match, junior Zoe Knox’s first-ever attempt at converting a penalty kick came up short and left of Lorenzini in the 62nd minute, but CBCS still would polish off a 10-0 road victory with time to spare when freshman Ruby McKeever completed a 75th-minute breakaway. 

Freshman Kaylin Buckel netted the Lady Titans’ first two goals within the opening five minutes, and Wight converted a seventh-minute rebound for a 3-0 advantage. Freshman Ellen Wimmet recorded Crested Butte’s fourth score via a 23rd-minute shot which glanced off Lorenzini’s gloves, then clanged off the keeper’s back post and across the goal line. 

Junior Ainsley Stewart then quickly converted a pass in the 21st from freshman Sidra Anderson into a strong 5-0 lead. 

Unofficially, Lorenzini faced 25 shots-on-goal and totaled a confidence-building 15 saves in defeat – which the Lady Bobcats (0-3 overall) and their coaches pretty much agreed was an improvement upon their 10-0 home loss on the 25th to Del Norte. 

Looking ahead at the schedule, Ignacio will next host 3A Alamosa on Tuesday, April 8, with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m. Results of IHS’ trip to, and 4:30 p.m. start at 3A Montezuma-Cortez (1-0-1 overall) on the 1st were unavailable at press time.