The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“It’s just good to have soccer and be out there competing”
[ by Than Acuff ]
Chaos continues with the Crested Butte Titans girls soccer team as games appear to remain in flux each week making it hard for the team to get any sort of rhythm and build for success.
This past week was a prime example as the Titans were coming off two easy wins against league opponents and had to shift gears to prepare for traditionally tougher games against Ridgway and Telluride.
“They were ready and excited to play at that level,” says coach Julia Kidd. “Excited to play a game where I’m not coaching them not to score.”
The stage was set for the Titans the evening of Friday, May 14 as they were slated to host the Ridgway Demons at the Western Colorado University turf field.
“That field is just beautiful and everyone was going to come out for it,” says Kidd.
But, as often appears to be the case this season, the game never came to fruition as Ridgway contacted the Titans on Thursday, May 13 to say they would be forfeiting the game that evening.
“They really gave no reason,” says Kidd. “But our seasons are usually fraught with these kinds of things so I think, unfortunately, they’re a little used to this kind of thing. They just rolled with it and were ready for the game the next day.”
Fortunately, Telluride was more than ready to host both a varsity and JV game the following day and the Titans loaded the bus at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 15 bound for Telluride and their first true test of the season.
“We knew they’d be ready and hungry, they are a great opponent,” says Kidd. “I reminded the team how much they need to spread out and move the ball quickly.”
The Titans started the game at race pace to match Telluride’s energy on their home field and opened the scoring seven minutes into the game when Stevee Reinhardt broke loose for a breakaway goal.
The teams traded surges throughout the first half as Telluride’s small field makes for chaotic play reliant upon seizing quick opportunities.
Telluride did just that as they tied the game in the 25th minute and then scored again in the 35th minute to take a 2-1 lead into halftime.
“It didn’t feel like we were losing, we had plenty of opportunities,” says Kidd. “They just needed to bear down.”
The flow of the game remained similar in the second half with both teams getting a smattering of scoring chances. Telluride tacked on a third goal with eight minutes left and held off the Titans to seal the 3-1 win.
“The girls were picking themselves apart after the game and I told them to be proud, it was a good game,” says Kidd. “That was the first time they got to play at that level in two years and they got to play good soccer against a real opponent.”
The Titans will host Del Norte on Thursday, May 20 at the Crested Butte Community School soccer field and then head to Center on Saturday, May 22. They’ve already handed both teams sound defeats earlier in the season so the task for Kidd and her team is to try and keep up the intensity from the Telluride match the remainder of the season.
“I’ve heard Del Norte was missing their seniors the first time we played them so we’re going into that not expecting the same game as before,” says Kidd. “It’s just good to have soccer and to be out there competing.”
