Following an energized Sept. 6 win at Montezuma-Cortez, Bayfield junior Tilden Berriman stated:

"Definitely this year, we all knew it's going to be a different year."

And as if last Saturday's 7-1 destruction of 5A Kirtland Central wasn't more evidence of Wolverine soccer's resurgence, Tuesday's trip to Durango to face the 4A Demons' junior varsity certainly was. Though DHS' brand-new scoreboard didn't truly represent it, BHS put heat on their hosts almost immediately.

Looking to break out even earlier than they'd done against the out-of-state Broncos - whom they'd led 2-1 at halftime - the Wolverines rocketed nine strong shots to Durango's five during the opening 40 minutes of the maiden match played on DHS' new artificial surface.

Unluckily for Bayfield, the Demons' five were all on target, and senior Austin Bushnell was able to deny only three. Durango sophomore Lance Townsend converted a breakaway in the eighth minute, then ran onto an even better through-ball to strike again in the 10th.

In seasons past, that may have been enough to break Bayfield - especially when eight of their attempts, though quality in direction, either zipped two or three feet over the relieved enemy's crossbar or wide of a post. The one shot on target, however, was senior Finlay Marshall's successful penalty kick in the 30th.

And just like that, the 2016 boys were back and the battle was just as alive and spirited as any played in town.

Having crushed Central with five goals after intermission, the Wolverines outscored DHS 3-2 in the second half, with goals coming from Marshall (who'd netted four in Kirtland), Berriman and junior Colton Fine.

"The overtime was all Bayfield with the pressure," head coach Chris Zoltowski text-messaged after the draw, leaving BHS 2-3-2 (still 1-3-1 in the 3A Intermountain) and the Demons 2-2-2 (0-1-1 4A/5A Southwestern). "They kept almost everyone back on defense. We took so many shots at the end, just couldn't put it away."

"The boys were happy with the overall result."

In one of the program's highest-scoring outputs in recent memory, Berriman struck twice in the rout of KC and aided on two others.

Fine had a goal and two assists, sophomore Berman Abdallah-Boehm had two assists, and Marshall one.

Starting a string of four matches inside Wolverine Country Stadium after using it for competition just once in the season's first seven matches, Bayfield will resume league work at 4 p.m. Friday versus Ridgway (4-2-0, 4-2-0) and 11 a.m. Saturday versus Telluride.