Longmont rebounds against Greeley Central
Trojans find enough offense to beat Wildcats
LONGMONT >> The Longmont girls soccer team played its home opener at Everly-montgomery Field on Saturday afternoon against Greeley Central, still growing together in step-bystep fashion as the Trojans look to build on their playoff season of a year ago.
After falling in its season opener at Frederick two days ago, Longmont rallied quickly to defeat the Wildcats, 5-3.
The Trojans controlled the field in the first half, where they dominated possession of the ball. The work to earn the ball paid off, as forward Ella Erwin scored both of her team’s first-half goals as LHS took a 2-1 lead at the break.
The first, which occurred around 15 minutes into the half, resulted from an indirect kick awarded to Longmont after her teammate Kylissa Kirk took a particularly hard hit from the opposing team.
“It was just amazing,” Erwin said. “I think the coaches always trusted me to take the free kicks and those are paying off.”
The second hit the back of the net after midfielder Samantha Whitted made a pass to the center, lining up the shot for Erwin to take.
“The second ball given to me was beautiful. The pass was amazing, and I had that opportunity, so I took it,” Erwin said. “It’s all because of the teamwork and making the correct runs.”
But the Wildcats came back in the second half with a game’s-notover-yet mentality. They started the half hammering the Trojans’ defense, who refused to let Greeley Central penetrate their line. Though the Wildcats continuously sent shots flying at the Trojans’ net, none were able to find their mark.
Longmont’s Cielo Gartenmann, one of the team’s co-captains, found the ball loose at her feet inside the penalty box after a push forward from the half, which she kicked just past the Wildcats’ keeper for the goal and a 3-1 advantage. Despite Longmont’s twogoal lead, the Wildcats continued to make it tough.
The LHS defense struggled to contain an explosive Wildcat offense, which managed to make
multiple point-scoring runs in a matter of minutes to tie the game up at 3-3. Longmont did not allow the tie to last long, and it responded as midfielder Luna Ready struck — smashing a ball ricocheting off of Erwin’s foot past the keeper and into the net.
The Trojans’ lead stretched — and the win was secured — when freshman Kirk broke away from defenders at the mid-line
and sent a ball flying into twine for the team’s final tally.
Despite the win, head coach Patricia Pless says the girls still have a long way to go as a team.
“The girls were trying to push forward when all they needed to do was keep possession, which is one of the things that we’re learning and still trying to push it into their heads,” Pless said. “They just need to slow the game down when it needs to be slowed down, and then play like a chicken with its head cut off when that’s needed, too.”
Longmont now holds a 1-1 record, evening back up its mark after a 5-1 setback against Frederick. Pless thinks that with time the girls will learn to play a more coordinated game, which she says they’re struggling with now.
“I think putting all the talent that is now being individualized together cohesively and just making that chemistry piece come in,” Pless said regarding what the girls still needed to work on. “I think once the girls do that, all that talent is going to shine and it’s going to work in our favor.”