The Montezuma-Cortez soccer team dropped its fifth consecutive game on Tuesday during senior night, losing to Pagosa Springs 3-2.
The Panthers trailed 2-0 at the break, but they rallied in the second with goals from Juan Para and Manuel Martinez to tie things up with the Pirates.
However, Pagosa Springs struck back with around 10 minutes remaining in the contest to go up 3-2 and they would hold on for the win.
M-CHS head coach Sean Fitzgerald said that a breakdown in the Panthers defense led to the go-ahead goal, but it’s something that the team will work on moving forward.
“I think that the team played well again for 65 or so minutes,” he said via email. “We still cannot put a whole game together. Difference makers in the game I would say, Juan [Para] and Skyler [Yarbrough] in first half picked the team up and got us through the half.”
“In the second half,” he continued, “Trey [Yarbrough], Jack [Byerly], Matt [Broughton], and Parker [Bell] played well with a new formation and held together other than a few mistakes that can be fixed.”
M-CHS honored its three senior players for the evening in Martinez, Yarbrough and Jesus Ruiz.
“I think these three boys mean a lot to the team and will be missed tremendously,” said Fitzgerald. “These are the captains of the team and the first three to go all four years with me coaching. They know everything I have expected from them and I personally will miss them on the team.”
Looking ahead, the Panthers (1-6, 0-5 Southwest Soccer League) will look to regroup and bounce back against Crested Butte (4-2, 4-0 SWSL) Friday, Sep. 30.