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Ignacio's Riley Lang (3) zips a cross-field pass away from Bayfield's Avery Shipman (7) during season-opening action Tuesday, March 10, at IHS Field.
Pressured by Bayfield's Arriyanna Cundiff-Huerta (23), Ignacio's Avanna Cook (22) forcibly settles the ball to gain possession during season-opening action Tuesday, March 10, at IHS Field.
Ignacio's Alexa Lopez Rodriguez (15) clashes with Pagosa Springs' Julie Ortiz (20) for possession Thursday, March 12, at IHS Field.
Ignacio goalie Bella Lorenzini (26) gets low and beats Pagosa Springs' Tatiana Monterroso (10) to the ball during action Thursday, March 12, at IHS Field.
Photo Credit: Joel Priest | Special to the Drum
Photo Credit: Joel Priest | Special to the Drum
Photo Credit: Joel Priest | Special to the Drum
Photo Credit: Joel Priest | Special to the Drum
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IHS Girls’ Soccer season underway

Friday - March 20, 2026 by Joel Priest | Special to the Drum

Lady ’Cats embracing ‘The Beautiful Game’ 

After a slated season-opening doubleheader Saturday, March 7, at 2A Intermountain League-South rival Ridgway was postponed due to snow still blanketing all-new Cimarron Athletic Field at RHS, Ignacio Girls’ Soccer managed to ease into the 2026 campaign with two home matches during the coming week. 

And after welcoming 3A Bayfield to IHS Field on the 10th, but falling 10-0 to the Lady Wolverines in just 55 minutes, the Lady Bobcats then hosted 3A Pagosa Springs on the 12th and displayed improvement visible to not only second-year head coach Gretchen Gruber but also PSHS counterpart Trevor Gian—whose Lady Pirates needed a few moments’ worth of stoppage time at the end of the second half to finally secure a 10-0 road win. 

Junior Baylee Davis’ strike, placed just across the goal line at Ignacio senior keeper Bella Lorenzini’s back post, sealed the deal mere ticks after the 80th minute of regulation time expired, and got Pagosa Springs—which qualified for last year’s Class 3A State Tournament but, as the 32nd-seeded side in the opening Round-of-32, was promptly pounded 10-0 by Denver-based No. 1 (and eventual State Champion) Colorado Academy—the mercy-rule victory. 

Including a spectacular header of junior Ximena Garcia’s 23rd-minute corner kick (one of the Lady Pirates’ 12), senior Terriana Cage also marked in the 21st, 45th and 48th minutes to pace PSHS (1-0 overall, 0-0 3A Intermountain) offensively.  Her last goal, scored by volleying a bouncing ball more than 30 yards, was followed up not even 60 seconds later when junior Tatiana Monterroso ripped her own 30-yarder over and through IHS’ stunned and tiring defenders. 

Also having struck in the 17th and 19th minutes of play, Monterroso finished with three goals.  Senior Xyra Belarmino netted her goal in the 67th after taking possession of a failed clearance inside Ignacio’s 18-yard box, and Garcia got the whole show started in the 15th by pursuing a teammate’s shot, initially stopped by Lorenzini, and cashing in the rebound. 

Starting goalie Zariah Blankenship, a sophomore who needed to make just one save before intermission, and second-half switch Garcia shared the shutout. 

Looking ahead, the Lady ’Cats (0-2, 0-0 2A Intermountain-South) will resume work, post-Spring Break, on March 23 when perennial league power Telluride comes to town for a 4:30 p.m. start.  The Lady Miners stood 1-1 overall (0-0 Intermountain-South) before heading up to the Metro Area to battle 3A Lamar and 2A Westminster Flatirons Academy—last year’s State Runner-up to Loveland Classical Academy—on the 20th, and 21st respectively. 

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