If fellow sophomore Sydney Rey’s touch pass through visiting Pagosa Springs’ 18-yard box was rubbish, as more or less dubbed by its recipient, it at least ended up being discarded into a proper receptacle.
Well-positioned to PSHS goalkeeper Sofia Haymaker’s right, or “back” side, Bayfield’s Kambrie Byrd not only received Rey’s cross but put enough boot on the ball to bypass the Pirate in the 76th minute – putting the Wolverines up 2-0 and effectively clinching them a second win in as many outings beginning the 2023 season.
“It was, like, ‘I’ve got trash!’” Byrd said, describing her role as a cleanup option when Rey couldn’t line up a shot. “Sydney and Genesis (Barrera) worked together to get me the ball, and I just shot it into the corner.”
On a freezing Tuesday afternoon in which Mother Nature mixed an excess of winter – air temperature inside Wolverine Country Stadium at kickoff was an estimated 28 degrees, and a brief snowstorm swept through late in the teams’ scoreless first half – into an inadequate amount of spring, BHS broke through on the scoreboard early after intermission.
Taking a Rey setup pass in the 53rd minute, junior Preslie Wagner appeared to net the 3A Southwestern League match’s first goal, but was correctly ruled offside. However, with momentum sufficiently built up, Bayfield (2-0 overall, 2-0 3A SWL) at last struck in the 56th when sophomore Tanna Owens cashed in junior Barrera’s crossing feed from Haymaker’s left.
“We’ve been practicing a lot in the cold, so I think we did good with the weather. There was a point where it was a little much for our eyes,” said Byrd, referring to the fast-moving snowfall, “but … I think we blocked it out of our minds. It was fun.”
And speaking of blocking, Wolverine goalie McKenna Noonan needed to make just two saves against the Pirates (0-4, 0-1), with the most vital being a diving denial of junior Lauren Monterroso in the 71st minute.
All told, BHS put 10 of their 18 total shots on frame, as Haymaker totaled eight stops. Pagosa Springs did gain one more corner kick in the contest than Bayfield’s two, but was unable to capitalize.
Up next, the Wolverines were scheduled to travel to nonleague Salida (2-1, 0-0 3A Tri-Peaks) for a Thursday contest. BHS will then resume league play hosting Alamosa at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
“Yeah, we’ve got a big weekend ahead of us; we’ve just got to keep working hard,” Byrd said.
PSHS will next travel on Friday to AHS (2-2, 0-1), then reverse course westward for an 11 a.m. match Saturday at Montezuma-Cortez (0-3, 0-0). The Panthers’ home match on Tuesday versus Ignacio (0-3, 0-2 2A Intermountain-South), however, was postponed – likely due to inclement conditions similar to those in La Plata County.
