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Boys soccer: Aspen tops Basalt

Dale Strode
The Aspen Times
The Aspen High School seniors on the boys soccer team, from left, Beau Burckhart, Erik Amaya, Kinley Neibur, John Heaphey, Griffin Stevens, Wyatt Feagan, Capt. Ramiro Perez, Capt. Joel Brice, Capt. Connor Peirce, Ross Pingatore, Arthur Kelso and Garret McNichol. Not pictured Evan Geishart.
Courtesy photo |

The Aspen High School boys soccer team score three second-half goals Saturday in a 5-2 victory at Basalt.

“It was a very even game in the first half,” Aspen head coach Dave Francis said. “They caused us some problems in the first half.”

The homestanding Longhorns scored first to take a 1-0 lead.



After Aspen tied the match, the Longhorns regained a 2-1 lead.

“Basalt is much improved,” Francis said after the Longhorns scored on a free kick and a PK.




“In the second half, I felt like we started to implement our game,” Francis said. “We were much stronger in the second half.”

He said the Skiers had to adjust to the natural turf field at Basalt. They practice and play on the artificial field turf at Aspen High School and Iselin Field.

He said the Skiers also had several previously injured players return to action, including defensive mainstay Connor Peirce.

Joel Brice scored twice for the Skiers.

Sophomore Guillermo Flores also scored two goals in the win.

Jorge Esparza added another goal for the Aspen boys, who improved to 7-2-0 on the season.

“It was a good performance,” Francis said.

The Skiers will return home to host Vail Mountain School in a big league rematch on Tuesday afternoon.

Vail Mountain edged the Skiers 3-2 in Vail on Sept. 9, before Aspen’s break for experiential education.

The Skiers returned from the week away and beat a stubborn Colorado Rocky Mountain School team 4-2 in Aspen.

The Skiers then traveled to Craig for a 3-1 victory over Moffat County in a midweek match.

Saturday’s contest at Basalt marked the Skiers’ third match in five days.

Basalt moved to 4-7-0 overall after Saturday’s match against the Skiers. The Longhorns will play at rival Roaring Fork on Tuesday.

The Aspen High School seniors will be honored at the Tuesday match against Vail Mountain School, set for Aspen School District Stadium.

There are 13 seniors on the AHS boys soccer roster: Beau Burckhart, Erik Amaya, Kinley Neibur, John Heaphey, Griffin Stevens, Wyatt Feagan, Ramiro Perez, Joel Brice, Connor Peirce, Ross Pingatore, Arthur Kelso, Garret McNichol and Evan Geishart).

After hosting Vail Mountain on Tuesday, the AHS boys will play at Roaring Fork on Thursday.

dstrode@aspentimes.com