After a solid start to its season, the Montezuma-Cortez High School soccer team has struggled to win in recent weeks.
Playing on the road against Telluride Oct. 7, the Panthers struggled on offense and were burned on defense during a 5-1 loss.
According to sophomore forward Manual Martinez, a lack of communication between M-CHS’s defenders hurt the Panthers cause.
“We just didn’t pressure enough,” said Martinez. “They beat us with their through balls.”
According to Martinez, M-CHS trailed 2-0 at halftime and 3-0 early in the second half before Alex Fernandez scored to cut the Panthers deficit to 3-1.
M-CHS was unable to mount a comeback however, as the team dropped to 4-7-0 on the season. Telluride improved to 8-2 with the victory.
Next up for the Panthers will be a road matchup against Pagosa Springs on Oct. 14. The Pirates defeated the Panthers 2-1 in overtime earlier this season.