A new-look roster that hadn’t played a match together in a year and a half did not allow a goal Tuesday. It also was unable to score.
The 2021 spring boys soccer season started for Durango High School on Tuesday on the road in a 5A/4A Southwestern League contest against Fruita Monument. Boys soccer is typically played in the fall but, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this season was pushed back to the spring for a shortened seven-week schedule.
Showing a little rust, the Demons (0-0-1) were satisfied with a scoreless tie out of the road trip Tuesday against the Wildcats (0-2-1, 0-1-1 SWL).
“It was not the most exciting match, but it was good to get out there,” DHS head coach Aaron Champenoy said. “We struggled in our first game in 16 months, and the guys were cramping. You could see our match fitness just wasn’t there yet. But a lot of young guys did well and stepped up.”
Champenoy was especially impressed with four new starters on the defensive back line along with sophomore goalkeeper Fred Reiter, who had six saves.
“To keep a shutout with five new guys back there, we will take it,” Champenoy said.
DHS senior Sayer Frontella created a few scoring chances in the match. Late in the game, he took a free kick and put a beautiful pass on the back post of the goal. Sophomore Cedar Newman narrowly missed getting his head on the ball in a sign of future goals to come for the Demons, who will travel Saturday to face league-rival Montrose.
“There’s a lot of pressure playing league games right away with a lot of guys who weren’t playing last year,” Champenoy said. “We are going zero to 100 with not a whole lot of time between games to make adjustments. We have to maximize the next couple of days of practice to work on getting more creative in the final third to make more scoring chances.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
