A surprise party?

The Bayfield Wolverines have a not-so-secret surprise present planned for a Senior Day gift:

A Class 3A Region 5 title.Now all the girls soccer team has to do is track it down this evening; now all the Wolverines have to do is win.Heading into today’s match with league opponent Pagosa Springs at Wolverine Country Stadium, Bayfield is tied with Telluride at 9-1-1 in Region 5, but having beat the Miners 2-1 in March, then a 2-2 draw Saturday, the Wolverines own the tiebreaker for a league title. They also already beat the Pirates 3-0 this season.But, not so fast.

“We don’t want to go out there and just assume we’re going to win,” BHS head coach Jen Zelinski said. “Pagosa always gives us a good game.

“We just got to make sure we get out there and play the way we know how to play. We can’t let them come at us.”

A loss certainly would be a nasty surprise party for BHS seniors Charlene Hammit, Jordyn Harrison and Lindsey Reinmuth.So with an “extra special” night planned with a 6 p.m. late game followed by a community barbecue, Zelinski said the Wolverines (11-2-1) need to make sure they wrap their regular season the proper way: passing to space, contesting balls in the air and playing with aggression.

After losing a host of seniors last year, including leading scorer Keenan Moreta and second leading scorer Sanna Penton, Zelinski said her girls worried about their prospects for this season.No worries.

Despite a big loss in skill, this year’s team has made up for it with teamwork.

“I think we’re a better team than we were last year beacuse we play together. It’s very unselfish play,” Zelinski said. “It’s very neat to see them come together and pass the ball and not have to rely on a Keenan or an Effie (Nistler) or a Sanna.”

Have to or not, Nistler, who’s a junior this year, begs to be relied on.

She’s Bayfield’s top scorer this year, tallying 19 goals so far and chasing Moreta’s 23-goal regular-season total from last year. Even in her, Zelinski said she’s seen a change over the course of the season.“She wants the ball all the time and not in a selfish way,” Zelinski said. “She’s just so in shape, she always wants to go get the ball; she’s just aggressive like that.”But Nistler also tops the Wolverines’ assist chart with six, while a bevy of other players have tallied five.“And that makes her an even bigger asset because she can play the ball anywhere she wants,” Zelinski said. “At first she wanted to be that leader and goal scorer, but she’s also realizing it’s just as important to get those assists.”

All that teamwork has landed the Wolverines in position to win their league title, then hold their breath.

Sunday, they’ll also find out their postseason fate.

The top eight seeded teams in Class 3A get to host a mini tournament. Despite going 14-0-1 last year, BHS got a No. 9 seed last Selection Sunday, so Zelinski and the Wolverines are hoping one more belated Senior Day surprise might be in order this time around.“I don’t want to think it’s impossible,” Zelinski said.

jsojourner@durangoherald.com