After scoring 10 goals in its game on Tuesday, the Durango girls soccer team struggled on Friday night against Montrose and fell 2-1 at home.
The Demons struggled to maintain possession and get good chances. The Red Hawks didn’t have a ton of chances but capitalized on the ones they had.
Durango fell to 1-2-1 overall and 0-1 in the 4A/5A Southwestern League after the loss. Montrose improved to 6-0-1 overall and 2-0-1 in the 4/5A Southwestern League after the win.
“We started off well, we had the majority of the possession,” Durango head coach Melissa Halonen said. “I think them scoring first really shook us and then we never really recovered after that … We just have to have a stronger mental focus. When things aren’t going our way, how do we together, as a unit, bring each other up and fix it?”
Senior striker Emery Miller finished with the only for Durango. Freshman Lila Sherer-Sickler had the assist.
Junior midfielder Ellie Duncan had two goals for the Red Hawks.
Durango senior forward Sydney Ryan had the opening chance of the game. Miller stole the ball from a Montrose defender, Ryan got it and fired a shot from the right side from about 16 yards out. It went into the keeper’s hands with 38:40 to go in the first half.
The Demons had most of the possession in the first 10 minutes as Montrose struggled to connect passes in the midfield and to the forwards.
Senior midfielder Adde Neiman had a great ball off a free kick to junior forward Lauren McClellan onto the left side of the six-yard box from the 30-yard line. Unfortunately, McClellan couldn’t handle it and the ball went out of bounds with about 30 minutes to go in the first half.
Miller then received a great through ball into open space but had a tough angle down the right side. She shot it toward the left post but it was just a little too wide and missed the net with 29 minutes left.
Then Montrose struck first with 25 minutes left in the first half. Junior midfielder Ellie Duncan received a pass at the 20-yard line, turned and had space to shoot with her left foot. She found the back of the net in the lower right corner to put the Red Hawks up 1-0.
Durango struggled to turn its possession into good chances. The Demons struggled to move the ball in the center of the field and were playing on the wings.
Finally, Durango found some success on the wings. A beautifully played through ball by Sherer-Sickler to Miller down the right side resulted in a shot by Miller which found the lower left corner of the net. Miller’s goal tied the game at 1-1 with 12 minutes left in the first half.
“Anytime Emery is around the ball things can happen,” Halonen said. “She finishes well, she’s technical and she brings the energy. But clearly she can’t do it on her own and we need to figure out how to get players around her to help out.”
Both teams possessed the ball and had decent chances in the last 10 minutes of the half. Ryan had a great driven cross from the left side toward the far post but couldn’t connect with anyone right before the half.
Montrose struck again early in the half. Duncan scored from close range to put the Red Hawks up 2-1 with 35 minutes to go.
“Our back line wasn’t playing tight enough tonight,” Halonen said. “We dove. She (Duncan) faked a shot, stopped the ball and our back went flying. She had a free shot to the near post.”
Both teams struggled to finish during the middle of the second half. Adde Neiman had a great ball which almost found top right corner but just missed with 20 minutes to go.
Durango continued to struggle to connect passes in the attacking zone and Miller was lone player who could generate good looks consistently.
“Our typical players that dictate the play were all off at the same time today,” Halonen said. “We had a lot of bad days collectively which unfortunately happens sometimes. But that means players around them have to step up and that unfortunately didn’t happen today.”
The Demons had a corner kick with six minutes to go but it was unsuccessful.
Sherer-Sickler had a through ball played to her but missed around the 18-yard box with two minutes left. The Demons had a corner kick right before time expired. Durango wasn’t able to finish and the ball went wide.
Durango is back in action at home on Tuesday against Telluride at 4 p.m.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
