ALAMOSA, Colo. – To kick off their final weekend of home games, Adams State Women's soccer faced off against Colorado Mesa in a Friday afternoon bout. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies would fall to the Mavericks and extend their losing streak to 6 games in a row.
As soon as the whistle blew to start the game, plays were happening. In just the first minute of the game, Mesa drew a corner kick and remained in Grizzlies territory for a good portion of the first half. Mesa put two shots on goal in just the first ten minutes, both of which Corri Zaiger put a stop to. Only a few minutes later would the Mavericks net their first goal of the game off an unattested cross to center. The Mavericks persisted in the first half and stayed within Grizzlies territory after their first goal. In the 29th minute, they scored their second of the game off a rebound from a saved shot to put them ahead 2-0.
The Grizzlies came out firing in the second half, playing a solid and cleaner game than they had in the first. In an effort to put the Grizzlies on the board, Victoria Sanchez fired a laser at the goal that was denied by the Mavericks goalie. Play and possession became much more balanced in the second half, both teams getting looks offensively. Adams was able to draw a few corner kicks themselves that gave them quite a few close shots at scoring. As the game drew to an end, Adams began to keep the ball in Mavericks territory. Getting another shot, Diana Cerillo went up for a header to play the ball in the air and collided with the goalie who denied her shot. Despite Grizzlies close efforts and effective play, the Mavericks came out with the win.
Colorado Mesa put 9 shots on goal, 7 of which Corri Zaiger prevented and added to her superb college goalie career. Mesa was able to double the amount of corner kicks Adams State drew, getting 6 corners in the game. The Grizzlies fought back by putting 6 shots on, 4 of those shots being on goal. Their defense played well, keeping the game scoring lower than it could have been had they not backed their offense so well in the first half. They prevented quite a few scores on corner kicks and were keys pieces in the Grizzlies transitions and offensive production.
With today's loss Adams State Women's soccer team sits at an overall record of 3-10 with an RMAC conference record of 1-9. Though today's game was not the outcome they wanted, they fought a hard battle in the second half by holding the Mavericks scoreless after the first half. They played with tremendous strength and determination, revealing that they were capable of more than meets the eye. The Grizzlies look to split the weekend against Western Colorado on Sunday by continuing their strong play.
