Hampered by a recurring back condition, but still able to play hard soccer on the pitch for 5-10 minutes at a crack, Koya Maniss' importance to BHS Head Coach Jennifer Zelinski is showing through, more and more.
Often seen paired at the front of the Wolverines' attack with freshman talent Savannah Kaufmann, the senior has been maximizing her minutes-especially during the past week in which she netted three goals in as many matches. Maniss' performance helped Bayfield blank 3A/2A Southwestern League foes (in order) Telluride, Ridgway and Ignacio.
Her fourth-minute score Tuesday night under IHS Field's lights started a 6-0 defeat of the Bobcats, and her finish of a Kaylee Gomez pass had capped a 3-nil win at Ridgway three days before. But her gutsy go last Friday evening at Telluride was the type of effort which primes a team for the postseason.
Colorado's winter was still blowing snow over the THS field not once but twice, with a surprising 30-minute stretch of weak sunshine separating the storms. In spite of the crazy spring weather, Maniss was able to beat the Miner defenders and draw out sophomore goalkeeper Whitney Wells.
Otherwise the match's MVP on the strength of multiple athletic saves, Wells was forced to put herself on the proverbial line and collided with Maniss-who amazingly had managed to put a solid right boot into the ball a split second before impact.
Crashed to the frigid grass, it wasn't clear if Maniss saw her 70th-minute shot zip into the net. But her teammates' celebration on enemy ground made it evident that Bayfield's playing for post-season May, especially when Maniss was able to get back on her feet and head off for a break under her own power.
Wells wasn't as lucky and was escorted off, not to return before the 1-0 score went final.
BHS counterpart Kailee Millard's 60th-minute robbery of Telluride junior Ting Taylor not only denied the Miners their best chance, but may have been the key stop in all three shutouts. The Wolverines improved to 9-3 overall, 9-2 in the SWL going into the regular season's ending weekend.
Finally playing with multiple reserves for the first match in many, IHS' best opportunity during Game 2 of this spring's 'Pine River Valley Derby' came in the 60th minute when junior Tristan Boone narrowly missed with an attempt. Head Coach Oscar Cosio may have leapt highest out of all those on Ignacio's bench. Boone's shot turned past Millard and ran away, paralleling the goal line.
A score would have brought Ignacio back to 3-1 at that moment, after having prevented the guests from gaining too much momentum after Maniss' swift strike past senior goalie Krissy Velasquez.
Bayfield junior Maddy Duran inexplicably sent a 16th-minute shot over the crossbar, and in their latest of many solid halves in 2015, IHS surrendered only a 38th-minute Kaufmann goal before intermission. For IHS, three-year veteran Velasquez (who totaled 27 saves) and four-year defender Sarina Vigil received Senior Night salutes.
Senior Andrea Zelinski re-started the scoring in Ignacio with a 44th-minute corner kick that bent in and fully cleared the goal line in view of the closest official before being cleared out.
Gomez increased the margin to 4-0 10 minutes after Boone's approach, and senior sweeper Bryannah Isiordia, moved forward in the formation, cashed a volley in the 78th. Known more as an offensive asset for most of her BHS career, but utilized effectively to also help bolster Zelinski's back row this year, senior Meaghan Mooney closed the contest with an 81st-minute, stoppage-time hit.
Wrapping up their campaign, the Bobcats (0-10, 0-10) played in Pagosa Springs yesterday afternoon. The Bobcats finish their season at 4 p.m. today in Telluride.
Bayfield played non-league Salida in Wolverine stadium yesterday, then hosts Center in league action today at 11 a.m.
"We're just trying to take it one game at a time," said Coach Zelinski, whose team secured second place in the SWL, "and hopefully everything will pan out the way we want it to as far as going to playoffs."
TITLE'S OFF THE TABLE: Alamosa clinched a repeat Southwest League championship outright Tuesday with a 2-1 home win over Pagosa Springs, and improved to 11-1 in league and 11-2 overall.
