Plenty of frustration showed in the Wolverines' body language Tuesday afternoon.
Not because they'd lost to local Intermountain League soccer rival Pagosa Springs, inside Wolverine Country Stadium no less, but because they knew how well they'd played-again, following a quality 2-1 loss at Alamosa four days earlier-in an eagerly-anticipated home-opener.
Dominating the Pirates for most of the first half, firing (unofficially) 14 shots with 12 going on frame, Bayfield managed to shake off the shock of PSHS senior Bryce Raymond's second-minute strike and own a 2-1 lead going into intermission.
Set up by junior Marcus Isiordia creating chaos deep within the visitors' 18, resulting in a hand-deflected low shot on goalie Niall Pastuszek, senior Finlay Marshall equalized with a successful 32nd-minute penalty kick, then rapidly one-timed an Alex Knight assist into the net in the 34th.
And when the whistle sounded to bring the half to a close, the resulting roar from the stands was something the boys' program will take with them for the rest of what's already been a resurgent season. The fans' volume only increased when junior Tilden Berriman cashed a penalty kick in the 56th for a two-goal advantage over last year's league champion and eventual Class 3A State Tournament quarterfinalist.
Never counting themselves out, however, Pagosa Springs continued to battle and managed to break through in the 70th when senior Pitcher Lindner volleyed in a corner kick which paralleled goalie Chad Winkler's line so closely that it appeared likely to go over the crossbar and out of play before descending at the back post.
Lindner's next shot left BHS' backup keeper even less chance, as his drive in the 74th, which Winkler looked to have read well initially, was sharply rerouted off a Wolverine's leg and into the goal to tie the match 3-3. And back into goal went senior regular Austin Bushnell, who'd made five saves after Raymond's marker and was converted to a field player as a reward in the 62nd when Bayfield (1-3-1, 1-3-1 IML) appeared to be in control.
But destiny would not favor the locals this time. Barely a minute before the full-time whistle, Pirate newcomer Leo Witschurk slotted a perfect liner from just outside BHS' 18 into the corner over Bushnell's right shoulder for a stoppage-time winner in the 83rd-dropping the Wolverines to 1-3-1 overall/league, and boosting PSHS to 1-5-0 (1-2-0 IML) in a probable rebuilding year.
Next for BHS will be tomorrow's 11 a.m. start at Kirtland Central in New Mexico.
Bayfield then hosts the 4A Durango JV at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
