After starting the season 1-1, the Montezuma-Cortez soccer team lost nine straight contests to fall to 1-10 and was statistically eliminated from the postseason.
However, the Panthers then won back-to-back matches against Ridgway and Telluride. And on Tuesday, they looked to end their season on a high note against Pagosa Springs.
Manuel Martinez scored the game’s first goal seven minutes in to give M-CHS an early advantage, but the Pirates netted two goals later in the first to lead 2-1 at the break.
Pagosa scored twice more in the second half and led 4-1 with just 14 minutes remaining, seemingly dashing the Panthers’ hopes of finishing the year with a win.
But Martinez wasn’t done.
In the final 13 minutes, the senior midfielder scored three goals to tie the contest at 4. And then in overtime, sophomore Juan Para scored the golden goal in the 86th minute to give the Panthers a season-ending 5-4 victory.
“It was a pretty crazy last 20 minutes with overtime,” M-CHS head coach Sean Fitzgerald said chuckling.
Martinez led the furious comeback offensively, and Para put the cherry on top with the game winner in OT, but goalkeeper Skyler Yarbrough was also fantastic, finishing with an eye-popping 18 saves.
“He felt he didn’t do well because he had four goals, but those four goals went through 10 other people,” Fitzgerald said. “But he had a ton of shots and I think he played phenomenal for not every playing goalie and just stepping in the last three games.”
The Panthers finished the 2016 campaign with a 4-10 overall record, but they were able to close it with three straight wins and send seniors Yarbrough, Martinez and Jesus Ruiz out with a W.
“I think that was a big deal for them,” said Fitzgerald. “I think it’s nice for any senior to get their last win, but three in a row is something awesome to go out on – especially coming back last night from three down.”
While Fitzgerald hopes that the team’s momentum carries into next season, he said that he and assistant coach Robert Laymon will be sad to say goodbye to this year’s team – calling them one of, if not the closest team he’s ever coached and referring to them to as a family.
“Robert and I love every single one of those kids,” he said. “And it will be kind of a sad end-of-year banquet that we have because it was one of those teams that you just don’t want to let go.”