IHS starts season’s last week strong
As close as they came Monday afternoon, April 28, to registering their first goal since their mid-March season-opener, the Ignacio Lady Bobcats may have been closer than even they realized to recording a hard-earned first win.
And in a job where less typically equates to more, in terms of success, the more goalkeeper Bella Lorenzini did, the less chance the guests seemed to have to slide quietly out of town with a road victory.
Coming in off a reduced-length doubleheader on the 26th versus 2A Intermountain-South force Ridgway, in which she totaled a media-counted 28 saves, Lorenzini snared, smothered or shoved aside 13 shots 3A Alamosa’s junior varsity sent her way in another match played in 30-minute halves.
Unluckily, three second-half goals effectively undid all the junior’s pre-intermission work, and after sophomore Alexa Lopez Rodriguez’s 25-yard try – just Ignacio’s fourth total shot in the non-league test – in the 55th minute failed to beat AHS’ goalie, the Lady ’Cats were unable to generate another such opportunity and fell 4-0.
“A lot better than many other days,” Lopez Rodriguez said afterwards, of her chance. “It was pretty nice; I didn’t get as tired, to be honest – I like the 30-minute, but I could still go 45 though. So I saw an opening and decided I might as well take it! And if I don’t make it, at least I tried.”
Facing the Mean Moose in more or less a ‘fair fight,’ considering Alamosa didn’t bring an overwhelming abundance of depth, IHS (0-10-0 overall) bent but never broke during the opening 15 minutes. But as the grind of playing a fourth match in four calendar days began to show its sapping effect, Ignacio finally cracked in the 18th minute when Camryn Zook received a pass at midfield from Arely Lara, then dribbled the rest of the way through a stretched-out defense and finished the breakaway.
The Lady ’Cats, however, nearly managed a surprise equalizer in the 20th, but freshman Amiyah Martinez’s 1-v-1 attempt was saved by Alamosa’s goalie, preserving AHS’ 1-0 advantage. Which missed being doubled in the 24th minute by only a couple inches; in position to strike after an unsuccessful, yet productive corner kick, Blanca Francisco went for a short-side finish to Lorenzini’s left but rang the shot off the post.
Francisco made amends shortly after halftime, assisting on Daniella Celis’ 32nd-minute breakaway goal securing a 2-0 lead. Celis then squeezed a 46th-minute, tight-angle shot in from Lorenzini’s right, and Lara finished a 1-v-1 against Lorenzini in the 48th, assisted by Hayley Espinoza.
Nevertheless, the importance of the effort – particularly in the wake of 13-0, 10-0 losses to RHS plus a 10-0 defeat, acknowledged to be more competitive than meets the eye, on the 25th at Del Norte (Lorenzini was credited with 23 saves) – wasn’t lost on IHS’ players, still with work to do in preparation for their final match this spring.
“Saturday, I feel like we were just a bit more worn out,” said lone senior Caydence Vezeau, saluted after the doubleheader for her dedication to Ignacio’s never-say-die program. “But I feel like today we just worked better as a team. And with having more even [numbers of] players…I feel that was a good help too.”
“We don’t give up, no matter how hard things get,” Lopez Rodriguez said. “We’re always going to try to keep going; that’s what it’s about.”
Results of the Lady Bobcats’ 2025 finale Thursday night, May 1, at Bayfield (1-10-0 overall prior to hosting 3A Southwestern a.k.a. Intermountain rival Pagosa Springs on Tuesday, April 29) were unavailable at press time.
“I’m excited for that game,” Vezeau said. “I’ve never played under lights before so…. I don’t really know how they play, but I’m hoping we do good.”