(Aislyn Carrillo/CHSAANow.com)
FORT COLLINS — One weather delay, two goals and three yellow cards later, No. 5 Fort Collins boys soccer shutout Mountain Range in a very physical match on Tuesday evening.
The match ran for about nine minutes before the lightning delay was called. During this short period of time, Fort Collins (7-1 overall, 3-1 league) maintained possession throughout and senior Connor Lowdermilk managed to score a goal with 35 minutes left to play in the first half. The crowd celebrated the first score of the game and kept cheering on the Lambkins until 31:17 remained in the first half, when lightning struck nearby.
Fort Collins headed to its locker room and Mountain Range (5-3, 3-1) headed to its bus, where coach Eric Sarno had a pep talk with them.
“After the delay, they really got into the match and made a great game of it,” Fort Collins coach Justin Stephens said of Mountain Range.
Both teams came back from their break aggressively — much different from the first part of the half where Fort Collins dominated the ball. This time, the ball was going back and forth, being played on both sides of the field.
The Lambkins’ defense played incredibly well, especially goalkeeper Alex Snavely, who did not let a shot past him the entire match.
With 13:26 remaining in the first half, senior forward Blake Moncur scored the Lambkins’ second goal, and the final goal of the game. Fouls grew heavy toward the end of the first half and the play started to get physical.
Aggressive became almost too aggressive by means of physicality during the second half. Three yellow cards were given out — two to Fort Collins and one to Mountain Range. Mountain Range’s Matthew McGuire earned his yellow card after an intense play, resulting a Lambkin down on the field and the crowd going crazy.
Fort Collins seniors Max Bostak and Max Arellano received yellow cards, as well.
The Lambkins and the Mustangs both came very close to scoring goals in the second half, but the Lambkins ran into communication errors and kept overshooting the ball; and the Mustangs just were not able to execute any of their shots because Fort Collins’ defense was so strong.
The coaches from both teams have a clear mutual respect for one another, even after such a tough match.
“That was a good team, they played very well,” Sarno said. “We couldn’t find that goal, and we never gave up.”
Stephens is proud of his team but he has recognized what they did wrong in this game and what they can improve on.
“We were goalless in the second half, so it would be nice get that third and put the game away,” Stephens said.
Fort Collins went into this match coming off its only loss of the season this far against Monarch. Mountain Range will be playing Monarch on Wednesday night on Monarch’s home turf.
The Mustangs will not have a practice between the two matches. Sarno hopes his team will improve their “communication at the back and knowing when to get forward” so that they can play at their fullest on Wednesday.