Panther soccer players learning new game

Panther soccer players learning new game

Mar. 24, 2001

STAFF REPORT

The Panthers have a week off for spring break after completing today’s, March 24, girls soccer game at Grand Junction High (10 a.m.). They played Central of Grand Junction Friday night.

Montezuma-Cortez High School is coming off a heartbreaking 3-2 setback at Palisade on March 16.

"I was very proud of the team," first-year MCHS head coach Monica Plewe said. "They hustled to the very end of the game and never gave up. Being without one of our starting marking backs for the entire game and losing one of our starting center midfielders, Jennifer Siracusen, in the first half to injury made the challenge harder."

The Panthers scored first at about the 15-minute mark of the first half for a 1-0 lead. But the Bulldogs came right back and tied the game before MCHS scored again at the 30-minute mark.

"We had two great goals by Nicole Stephens in the first half and led at the break 2-1.

Unfortunately, we were unable to finish the other 16 attempts," she said.

Palisade scored the next two goals about mid-way through the second half. Goalie Nikki Fuchs did a nice job by making 10 saves.

"This disappointing loss gives us a couple of specific things to work on before we play Grand Junction Central on Friday and Grand Junction High School on Saturday both up in Grand Junction. I think it was very helpful to the girls to have so many supporters up in Palisade over the weekend too," she added.

Plewe said the girls are playing well at this early point in the season.

"They are doing such a good job. I threw at them a completely new game. They had only a few weeks to learn it. Now they are trying to implement it in their games. I think that is really neat the way these girls are learning and playing," Plewe commented.

The girls will practice some during the break and then be ready to play at rival Durango on April 3.