Yellow-carded for rough play in the 78th minute, Thomas Taaca received plenty of high-fives as he left the field and made his way down the visitors' bench last Saturday afternoon.
One would hope the congratulations were actually for the senior captain's victory-clinching goal just three minutes earlier, and only seven after Bayfield's Finlay Marshall spoiled what was shaping up to be a Crested Butte Community School shutout.
In fact, the Titans could have thanked the Wolverine junior co-captain for re-energizing the home side to soldier on until the final whistle, as CBCS was then forced to do likewise and ultimately add junior Jordi Nichols' stoppage-time strike in the 81st to secure a 4-1 win inside Wolverine Country Stadium.
"Overall I think it was a decent game," said sophomore Chris Mooney. "I think we stayed together well, we played as a team and played the soccer that we know how to play."
"They were playing a little aggressive with us. But we tried to play the game that we play, try to pass around them, keep our composure," he continued. "Kept playing our game instead of stooping down to their level."
Eager to follow up a well-played 0-0 draw at Alamosa just the previous afternoon, BHS (0-10-1, 0-7-1 3A Southwestern) had shaken off the mental frustrations of the Titans' physical play. Seniors Axel Deer and Izzac Nixon had already been cautioned and booked, in the 57th and 66th respectively. Marshall zipped a shot over Josh Pruett's left shoulder in the 71st minute from the elbow of Crested Butte's 18, cutting CBCS' lead to 2-1.
"I thought a lot of it carried over," Mooney said, of the enthusiasm produced by blanking the Mean Moose. "I think we played way better today, compared to other games that we've played against them."
And when Taaca responded to junior Austin Bushnell's right, Bayfield caught another break when the ball clanged off the post. But unluckily back into play, giving the Titans the finest fortune of all when it then ricocheted in reverse off the prone goalie's head and over the line for a more comfortable three-goal margin (by which they'd won, 3-0, the previous meeting up in Gunnison County).
Helped by senior Gus Hensley's 13th-minute finish of junior Cam Curtiss' corner kick and conversion of a back-post ball in confusion in the 38th, CBCS (5-5, 5-4 SWL) prevailed in part due to out-shooting-unofficially-the Wolverines 16-5 (9-3 on frame) and gaining eight corners to BHS' none.
Bushnell totaled nine saves, on Titan shots and others out of necessity, and Pruett, also a junior, had three.
"Having Bush's improved our defense immensely; he's a great goalie," said Mooney. "We just moved Jaden Vitagliano up the field and I think it's a better position for him, seeing how fast he is. Dylan Doskocil.he's keeping on his man, playing his hardest, getting the ball first every time-I think our defense is doing great."
Up next, Bayfield plays tomorrow at third-ranked (CHSAANow.com Class 3A poll, 10/5) Pagosa Springs with kickoff at 11 a.m. Bayfield lost Tuesday afernoon to Ridgway, 5-0, in their last home game of the season.
"We're just improving overall as a team," Mooney said, "and just have to keep the momentum going with each and every game we play.get something from this game and bring it to our next game."
