Demons take down Devils

JV call-up scores game winner for Glenwood Springs

Click to Enlarge Browse and Buy Post Independent Photos Glenwood Springs High School sophomore Sarah Treese, on left, tries to avoid the sliding tackle of Eagel Valley High School’s Tania Silva on Wednesday in Glenwood. Glenwood won, 1-0. Chad Spangler Post Independent

By Joelle Milholm
April 24, 2008

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GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado - It's a good thing the Glenwood Springs girls soccer coach Bryan Stoltzfus brought up Mariah Martin from junior varsity to varsity on Wednesday.

In her first game on the varsity squad, the freshman scored the one and only goal of the Demons' match for a 1-0 victory over Eagle Valley.

"That was great to see her score that goal," Stoltzfus said of Martin, who immediately after playing varsity took the field again to play a JV game against Basalt.

With injuries to star forwards Chelsea Vallario and Kendall Strautman as well as midfielder Bryttnie Evans, Stoltzfus needed a strong forward to come up and try to fill the void. Martin, the leading goal scorer on Glenwood's JV team, did just that. She also captured a spot on varsity.

"She is here to stay," Stoltzfus said.

After 0-0 first half, and 10 more scoreless minutes, Martin charged down the field and fired a shot from the right side of the field that rolled into the left side of the Devils' goal.

With nine minutes to go in the contest, Eagle Valley found itself with a gift-wrapped opportunity to tie the game. The Devils were awarded a penalty kick that matched up Nicole Luczkow with Glenwood goalie Kelsie Hert. Luczkow sent a rocket up to the top left side of the goal, but Hert dove and got a hand on it to deflect it back off the cross bar. Luczkow tried to jump on the rebound, but Hert beat her to it and cleared the ball to spoil the Devils' best scoring chance of the game.

"That is a save she is going to remember," Stoltzfus said of Hert's block. "I will remember it for sure."

Glenwood outshot Eagle Valley 18-3 in the game, bombarding the Devils' goal for 80 minutes, but kicking most of its shots right at Eagle Valley keeper Bianca Blanco.

"We play great defense. There is no question that our girls are not afraid," said Devils head coach Francois Nanin.

Luczkow managed to fire off all three of Eagle Valley's shots, but had a tough game with the Demons defense marking her all over the field.

"We put our stud freshman Hannah McDermott on their best player," Stoltzfus said. "We have been doing that the last couple games and she shut the Delta girl down (Stephanie Spor), she shut No. 9 (Luczkow) down today."

Glenwood's victory advanced its Class 4A Western Slope League record to 7-2-1 as the Demons are now battling Steamboat Springs for second place behind 10-0 Battle Mountain. The Demons have four games left this season that include a make-up game at Moffat County today, a game at Palisade on Saturday, then another at Rifle on April 30 and the regular season finale at home against Battle Mountain on May 1.

Stoltzfus is hoping to have some of his regulars back for the game against Palisade on Saturday.

Eagle Valley is 1-11 on in the WSL on the season and will next play at Moffat County on Saturday.

"This was our best game of the season," Nanin said of the Devils. "To play on the road against a playoff team and a great program like Glenwood and be 0-0 at half, and maybe 1-1 was great. They had a ton of opportunities, but we are growing up and it is very optimistic for next year."