Manitou Springs’ first goal caused some controversy.
The Mustangs’ second was almost unavoidable.
But what possibly hurt Bayfield’s boys soccer team most was the goal NOT scored. The goal which they’d sought and which could have perhaps made for a much different outcome Friday evening inside Wolverine Country Stadium as Manitou Springs won 2-0.
The Mustangs improved to 5-0 overall while the Wolverines dropped to 3-4 overall with the loss.
With the match still deadlocked at 0-0 in the first half and stoppage time (which wasn’t going to be much) ready to commence, BHS senior Ayden Casillas stormed into the guests 18-yard box, approaching to MSHS junior goalkeeper Sebastian Steger’s far left. Maybe sensing something was afoot, Steger still may not have seen danger creeping toward his back post. Though the peril wasn’t all that prominent, it was well concealed.
Easily shrouded in a crowd, short-statured freshman Diego Cuddie flashed into Steger’s peripheral vision right as Casillas alertly zipped a perfect cross through the rain-soaked grass. Reacting almost solely on instinct, Steger flopped onto his right side, smothering Cuddie’s point-blank chance moments before the weather-delayed action went into intermission.
Springs’ breakthrough came in the 54th minute when, after sophomore Alazar Berry played sophomore Kaleb Sharon in for a shot on BHS goalie Orion Botsford, freshman Ashton Walker put the ball in the net after it had been dislodged from Botsford’s grip while Botsford – who, along with a couple teammates, protested the play to no avail – was on the ground.
MSHS then doubled up in the 62nd when senior Weston Cassidy nailed a penalty kick, resulting from a foul called against Wolverine sophomore Maddex Larson for pulling down Mustang sophomore Michael Reed as Reed rushed in from Botsford’s right.
Bayfield will next host Alamosa at 4 p.m. Thursday, and then welcome 5A Piedra Vista on Saturday.
