GUNNISON – Try as they might Friday afternoon to stall the start of their opponent’s spring break, the Bayfield Wolverines girls soccer could keep a potent Crested Butte Community School squad waiting for only so long.
In a nonleague match where the Titans’ misses were often more exciting than their hits, save for sophomore Cecilia Naughton’s 20th-minute free kick over BHS goalkeeper Lily Muir from nearly 40 yards away, the visitors finally scored their final goal in the 67th minute in a 10-0 victory.
Sophomore Calla Fenlon completed a hat trick with her 43rd-minute finish, increasing CBCS’ lead at the time to 6-0. Her second goal had come much earlier, in the 16th, or 10 minutes after she received a pass from senior Dakota Redden and netted the very first goal.
Fortunately for Crested Butte (6-3-2 overall, 2-0 2A Intermountain-South), it wasn’t merely a tying strike; Bayfield senior Sydney Rey had nearly opened the scoring at Western Colorado University’s Katy O. Rady Field with a promising low shot in only the second minute, but Titan freshman goalie Ella Davis – a JV starter filling in for junior regular Bryce Haskell, made the save.
She wouldn’t have to make another until the 63rd, when a ball played into space ahead of Rey traveled a bit too far and found oncoming Davis – who wasn’t taking any chances, as the ball had sufficient speed to potentially reach the goal line – first.
Muir, meanwhile, was under siege almost from the start and performed about as well as a first-year keeper could against a loaded CBCS crew. Including a one-handed denial – made while being partially screened by teammate Grace Brown – of sophomore Camila Salcedo during the second half, Muir unofficially totaled 19 saves as the Titans put 31 shots (out of 48 total) on frame. Two tries – in the fourth minute by Bayfield junior Nora Thomes, and in the 57th by Bayfield sophomore Madalyn Fitzgerald – had the guests’ goalie beaten but clanged off a post and away to safety.
Miller also ended up with a hatter in the win. Her 22nd-minute finish gave Crested Butte a 4-0 lead which lasted into halftime; her 42nd-minute strike (assisted by Naughton) made the score 5-0 shortly after intermission, and her 65th-minute effort (set up by Salcedo after a BHS turnover) increased it to 9-0.
Still seeking not just their first win in ’25 but also their first goal after 387 regulation minutes, the Wolverines (0-5-0, 0-1-0 3A Intermountain) were to resume league work Saturday afternoon at home versus Alamosa (5-0, 2-0). Results against the Mean Moose were unavailable at press time.
