If there's one thing BHS Coach Jen Zelinski knew about Center's girls going into Monday's match, it would be to not read deeply into their unimpressive win-loss record to date. Since scrapping for an improbable scoreless draw in 2014 at Center, the Vikings have usually put their best feet forth facing Bayfield.
And with five of eight losses this spring coming by two goals or less, CHS would certainly have been primed to pull off another late-April shocker against the perennial 3A/2A Southwestern League power.
The Vikings pressured the Wolverines in much the same manner as Pagosa Springs did on April 22, and with the score still 0-0 well into the second half, Zelinski again elected to move sophomore goalie Savannah Kaufmann out into the attack-a move which would promptly pay dividends.
Converting a pass from junior Makenna Cowan, Kaufmann netted the engagement's first goal, and it would hold up as the winner. BHS then added insurance late from senior Maddy Duran (a penalty kick created by sophomore Sophie Turner) and sophomore Misty Helton (assisted by Kaufmann) for a 3-0 shutout.
Dumping Center down to 1-9-1 overall (1-8-1 SWL), the victory bumped Bayfield up to 6-1-1 in league (8-2-1 overall.) The win was welcome medicine to cure any lingering effects from last Friday's 2-0 loss to Pagosa Springs. That leaves three squads (BHS, PSHS, Telluride) atop the standings with one league loss and two (BHS, THS) also with a tie entering this week's work.
Sophomore Alyssa Lewis booked both Pagosa Springs goals. The first was in the 36th minute on a breakaway rush towards the drawn-out Kaufmann, and the second in the 48th off junior Hannah Marnocha's cross inbound from Kaufmann's right.
Freshman Taelor Higgins took over as goalie in the 73rd, not long after Helton launched an opportune rocket just over freshman Diana Scott's crossbar. Kaufmann went into the field to provide the visitors another attacking option, and the ploy nearly worked. With PSHS having to worry about yet another capable threat, Duran nearly prevented a shutout-very nearly tying the score as well-twice in stoppage time.
But Scott saw the enemy's solid 23-yarder in the 81st all the way into her hands, then watched relieved as Duran zinged a 15-yarder from inside the elbow of the Pirates' 18 only a foot or two over the bar in the 82nd.
Kaufmann made five total saves in the contest, Higgins had two and Scott eight as BHS out-cornered PSHS 7-2. The elated home side outshot the guests, however, 14-12 overall and 9-8 on goal.
Up next for Bayfield will be today's crucial 4 p.m. test at Telluride, with tomorrow's 11 a.m. start at Ridgway preceding home dates versus Alamosa (May 3, 4 p.m.) and Ignacio (May 6, 7 p.m.).
CHSAANOW.COM CLASS 3A GIRLS' SOCCER POLL, 4/25: 1.Englewood Kent Denver, 2.Denver Colorado Academy, 3.Westminster The Academy, 4.Broomfield Jefferson Academy, 5.Fort Collins Liberty Common, 6.Lafayette Peak to Peak, 7.Colorado Springs Fountain Valley, 8.Parker Lutheran, 9.Highlands Ranch SkyView Academy, 10.Manitou Springs.
(Others receiving votes-Aspen, Colorado Springs Christian, Salida, Sterling, BAYFIELD, New Castle Coal Ridge, Greeley Frontier Academy, Granby Middle Park, Denver Science & Tech-Stapleton, Colorado Springs St. Mary's, Englewood St. Mary's Academy, Federal Heights The Pinnacle.)
