IHS threatens often in loss to Del Norte
Honored along with her fellow seniors before the team’s match Tuesday afternoon, April 7, goalkeeper Bella Lorenzini went on to then stop 15 enemy shots as the Ignacio Lady Bobcats turned in far and away their best performance yet this spring.
And though visiting Del Norte would ultimately prevail 10-0, with junior forward Emma Parra toeing in sophomore forward Oralic Archuleta’s 76th-minute pass played just beneath a sliding Lorenzini’s left glove, head coach Gretchen Gruber’s gang walked off IHS Field well aware of how close they came to scoring at least two, if not three goals.
Particularly during the last ten minutes of the first half, when the Lady ’Cats generated multiple corner kicks and scoring chances. Senior Juliann Avila – informed she’d be manning Lorenzini’s spot in the squad’s upcoming 4/9 home match versus Montezuma-Cortez – put a quality low shot on DNHS goalie Sophia Banderas in the 35th, though the sophomore made the save.
She’d then rob IHS junior Alexa Lopez Rodriguez, running onto a perfect through ball from sophomore Jada Davis after a strong buildup through midfield, in the 37th to preserve the guests’ 5-0 advantage going into halftime.
Finishing a set-up pass from sophomore Ella Cowett in the eighth minute, Parra netted what held up as the match-winning goal, but Davis had nearly drawn first blood literally one minute earlier after receiving a pass from sophomore Amiyah Martinez.
After intermission, senior forward Leilany Soto increased the Lady Tigers’ lead to 6-0 in the 43rd minute, but Ignacio came together defensively and avoided further damage until sophomore Damaris Almeida forced in a 67th-minute goal after the ball escaped Lorenzini’s grip.
Parra then headed a high-bouncing Almeida chip, lofted over IHS junior defender Paisley Vezeau, over a leaping Lorenzini in the 69th, and logged Del Norte’s ninth goal in the 74th before her fifth marker ended the match early. Soto ended up totaling three goals and Cowett one.
DNHS (2-2, 1-0) out-cornered Ignacio 13-4 in the contest, and Banderas finished with five saves.
AFTERMATH
The Lady ’Cats were unfortunately forced to forfeit the aforementioned test against M-CHS (at the time 4-1 overall, 3-0 3A Intermountain), due to reportedly having only six players available. Ignacio (0-6 overall, 0-1 2A Intermountain-South) was to then resume league work the next afternoon at Ridgway, but action at Cimarron Athletic Field was likely postponed at the very least.
Looking ahead, IHS is scheduled to visit Del Norte on Friday, April 17, with kickoff set for 4 p.m. Results from the team’s slated 4/14 home match versus 3A Alamosa were unavailable at press time.