The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Record stands at 6-1
By Than Acuff
The Crested Butte Titans girls soccer team won their third match in a row taking down the Salida Spartans on Tuesday, March 26 and are now 6-1 with a big test on the horizon.
Salida is another one of those 3A non-league teams that the Titans have on their schedule to keep the players sharp and focused as the Spartans have a traditionally strong program.
“We play them in the fall and play with some of their players at tournaments, so we knew they had strong players, we just didn’t know what else they had,” says head coach Tom Lewis. “We figured it was going to be a tough match because they’re a consistent 3A playoff team.”
After 25 minutes of scoreless soccer, the Titans found success on the flank as they have all season. Calla Fenlon took a pass wide and carried the ball before she found Leigh Harpel open just in front of Salida’s back line. Harpel took the pass and beat two defenders to open a one-on-one with Salida’s keeper. The Salida keeper made the initial save, but Harpel gathered the rebound to push it in for a 1-0 Titans’ lead.
Crested Butte carried their 1-0 lead into halftime and Lewis and the coaching staff felt not much needed changing.
“I’ve learned not to change as much at halftime,” says Lewis. “I was happy with the game and told them to just keep doing what they’re doing and just be a bit more clinical with finishing and get more shots off.”
The Titans took a 2-0 lead in the opening minutes of the second half as a corner kick from Harpel knocked off a Salida defender and into the goal, the second time that has happened so far this season.
“It’s a combination of good service from Leigh [Harpel] and pressuring the ball,” says Lewis.
Another Titans’ corner kick brought another goal as the ball hit off a Salida player’s hand resulting in a penalty kick and Harpel scored for a 3-0 lead.
Crested Butte then put the game out of reach in the 60th minute collecting a goal kick by Salida 25 yards out setting off a series of passes from Molly Miller to Teagan Turner and then to Harpel and she finished it off for the final tally of the game and a 4-0 win.
“We just bided our time and carried on playing the way we want to play,” says Lewis. “It was one of our better games of the season.”
The Titans will spend this week preparing for their next match on Saturday, April 6 when they face Colorado Springs Christian in Colorado Springs. Barring any mishaps this week, the team should be at full strength for the match against the defending 2A state champions.
“It’s just another game we need to win and can win,” says Lewis. “Overall, we’re pretty much there. After seven games we know what we’ve got as far as depth goes.”
