Underwhelmed more than overjoyed about having played Pagosa Springs to a draw on Sept. 22, Bayfield Soccer head coach Chris Zoltowski was nevertheless pleased the Wolverines will travel this weekend with no lingering negatives upon which to dwell.
And with a slight edge on the Pirates in pursuit of the 3A Southwestern League title.
“Well I felt like we had a bit of a struggle,” he said, reflecting on the 1-1 tie at PSHS’ Golden Peaks Stadium. “Our players weren’t moving too aggressively off the ball, and we weren’t getting numbers forward. This week, that’s all we’ve been working on—getting numbers forward, bringing bodies into the attacking third—and hopefully we can apply that this weekend.”
BHS (5-1-1 overall, 2-0-1 SWL) will take a break from league play and hit the highways to the northern Front Range region, to face nonleague opposition in the form of Windsor Charter Academy and Severance.
“Severance, they put it to us last year and I feel like…we’ve got a bone to pick with them,” Zoltowski said, referencing last season’s 9-0 road loss. “I think we’re going to come at them pretty strongly on Saturday.”
And with SHS struggling—the Silver Knights, who finished 6-8-1 overall in 2022 but stand 0-8-1 so far in 2023—Bayfield’s chances to exact payback could be quite good.
Up first, however, the Wolverines will square off against WCA on Friday (Sept. 29). Also struggling to find success, the Firebirds stand 0-5-1 overall, and 0-1-0 in the 2A Metro Hills-West after losing 6-3 at home on Wednesday to Loveland Classical Academy. BHS’ match versus WCA will kick off at 4 p.m. Friday, at the massive Future Legends Sports Complex—grounds including soccer fields and baseball diamonds each numbering in double digits, and with crown jewel TicketSmarter Stadium the home of both Northern Colorado Owlz Baseball (Pioneer League) and Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC Soccer (USL League One).
“I don’t know much about Windsor Charter, but…we get to play in their stadium, and we’re really excited about that,” Zoltowski said. “And our JV’s going to get to play there as well.”
Bayfield’s long haul home will pause in Commerce City as the Wolverines will take in some Major League Soccer action and observe the Colorado Rapids’ match Saturday versus Austin FC at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park.
“I’m sure all the moms are hoping to see Matthew McConaughey there,” joked Zoltowski, alluding to the fact that the actor/University of Texas at Austin alum is an investing partner in The Oaks’ ownership group. “But it’s going to be a lot of fun; it’s a great team-building event, a good way to spark our mid-season fire…to get the rest of the season closed out strong.”
Via an assist credited to sophomore midfielder Zach Hufnagel, on a play started in the rear by freshman left back Julian Polanco, sophomore striker Ayden Casillas netted BHS’ goal in the road match at Pagosa Springs. The Pirates (5-4-2 overall, 3-0-1 SWL), meanwhile, got a goal from sophomore Gavin Carter, assisted by sophomore Milo Deitemeyer. Both goals came following a scoreless first half.
“They’ve got some good, strong players and they’re young,” Zoltowski said. “And it’s crazy because they had, like, 11 kids to start (the season), they were losing every game, had no subs…. And so it’s like ‘Well, we’ve got this one in the bag.’ I think the boys thought it would be an easy game, and were just lazy.”
“I think it was just that mid-season slump, and it was the wrong team to have it against,” he continued. “But right now we have them on (league) goals-against—that’s the tiebreaker. We’ve scored one goal against each other…but Cortez scored three goals in two games against them, so right now they have four against and we only have one.”
Both Bayfield and Pagosa Springs have a shutout win over Alamosa, and still have to play AHS once more (the Pirates are slated to visit AHS on Friday while the Wolverines—who host the Mean Moose on Oct. 11—challenge Windsor Charter). BHS’ second match versus Montezuma-Cortez, victimized 6-0 back on Sept. 5 inside Wolverine Country Stadium, is set for Oct. 17 at M-CHS. Pagosa Springs then visits Bayfield on Oct. 20 for the sides’ regular-season finale.
