Girls soccer battles non-league foes

Home game this Friday at 5 p.m.

By Than Acuff 

Following a three-game winning streak against their class 2A peers a week ago, the Crested Butte Titans girls’ soccer team jumped back into the big pond to face perennial 4A powerhouse Durango and 3A stalwart Manitou Springs for some non-league challenges falling in both games.

For years the Titans schedule was rife with weaker opponents with just two or three truly challenging opponents throughout the season making it tough to prepare properly for the post season.

Last season head coach Tom Lewis made a concerted effort to stack the schedule with stronger non-league foes and that continued into this season and specifically last week.

“Adding teams like Durango and Manitou Springs exposes some of our issues and allows us to work through those things,” says head coach Tom Lewis. “It also allows us to keep the consistency of competition throughout the season higher.”

The Titans headed to face the Durano Demons on Thursday, April 3, easily one of the top programs in the state, and while the Demons established most of the possession early on, the Titans were resolute in the defensive efforts to hold off the initial Durango attack.

The Demons eventually converted on a corner kick 10 minutes into the game to take a 1-0 lead and continued to press on the Titans, but Crested Butte held them from tacking on a second goal and eventually seized on an opportunity 23 minutes into the game. The Demons looked short on a goal kick and Crested Butte pressed on the pass out of the back to force a turnover with the ball falling at Nora Thomes’ feet. Thomes wasted no time playing a diagonal pass to Brie Polster into the Demon’s 18-yard box and Polster settled the pass and tucked the ball into the bottom corner to tie the game 1-1.

“We knew how they liked to play the ball out of the back and made sure to cut off as many lanes as we could,” says Lewis. “It was one of the best balls I’ve seen from Nora and a great composed finish from Brie.”

While Durango continued to out possess the Titans, Crested Butte’s diligence on defense with Lola Wright and Madelyn Fitzgerald shutting down the flanks and Grace Bogard, Tegan Turner and Rio Crabtree remaining tough in the middle helped hold off the Demons and the two teams headed into halftime tied 1-1.

“We were happy but unhappy with the goal we conceded,” says Lewis. “We wanted to make sure Molly (Miller) stayed higher up the field in the second half to create more up the field.”

Durango retook the lead six minutes into the second half and the game could have easily gotten out of hand but the Titans’ effort up and down the field kept Durango within reach. Crested Butte then found some opportunities down the stretch to tie the game, but those opportunities never found the back of the net as the Demons finished with a 2-1 win.

“Our subs allowed us to keep the energy high and we applied the plan to the best of our ability,” says Lewis. “The second half was a lot better than the first half and our first half wasn’t bad. We made Durango earn the win.”

Crested Butte took the next day off from workouts to rest up for their home game Saturday, April 5 against the Manitou Springs Mustangs who were ranked sixth in 3A coming into the game against Crested Butte.

The Titans were noticeably fatigued in the opening 10 minutes of the game and the Mustangs converted on a corner kick for an early 1-0 lead. The goal appeared to spark a fire in the Titans though and they stepped up their effort to create a cohesive attack up field. Their work resulted in a corner kick and while Manitou Springs cleared the initial cross from harm’s way, Calla Fenlon collected the loose ball and fired from just outside the 18-yard box and Thomes tipped it past the Mustang goalie to tie the game 1-1.

The celebration was somewhat short-lived though as the Mustangs converted on a set piece seven minutes later to go back on top and then score a third goal in the final five minutes of the first half to build a 3-1 lead.

Despite some chances by the Titans down the stretch in the second half, the 3-1 scoreline held for the Mustangs leaving the Titans with their second loss in a row.

“Our biggest problem was fatigue, we were cooked,” says Lewis. “We had six games in 10 days and that took a lot out of them. But it was a great learning lesson for the players. In moments of tiredness, how do you react. That’s what makes championship players.”

The Titans have their final game before the April Break at home on Friday, April 11 when they host Bayfield at 5 p.m. Lewis and the coaches are looking forward to the game to start working on new elements as they prepare for games after the break and the postseason. 

“We’re going to mix things up a bit and try a new formation so we’re ready for games after the break and the postseason,” says Lewis. “Try it out and hopefully see some things.”