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Longhorns hook Vail Mountain

Jennifer Davoren
Aspen Times Staff Writer

The Basalt High boys soccer team is still undefeated in league play after a 4-1 victory over visiting Vail Mountain Saturday.

The Longhorns, now 5-0 in league and 6-2 overall, were slow to warm up during the morning matchup as Vail Mountain scored in the first 10 minutes. After numerous shots on the Vail goal, BHS senior Brady Kahn tied the score 30 seconds before the end of the first half.

One problem was an early game roster shuffle caused by three yellow cards, Basalt coach Erik Streff said. Senior starter Ryan Thompson was just one Longhorn forced to sit out most of Saturday’s game.



“We had to cope with some changes in the midfield in the second half … but we came together as a team,” Streff said.

Saturday’s second half began with a difficult save and two blocks by Basalt goal keeper Jamie Wirkler. His second deflection helped Longhorn sophomore Cy Eaton make a tie-breaking shot 15 minutes into the half, handing Basalt a 2-1 lead.




BHS gained momentum in the game’s last 20 minutes. Freshman standout Filipe Sanchez scored five minutes after Eaton’s goal, and was quickly followed by a goal from senior striker Spencer Cleveland.

Vail Mountain has always offered stiff competition for the Longhorns, Eaton said.

“They’re one of the toughest teams we played last year,” he said.

Streff agreed, citing Vail Mountain’s early lead and demanding first half.

“Vail was a great team, and they came out hard. It was a tough-fought game,” he said.

Though BHS had to overcome a few early defensive problems, the team had managed to isolate Vail’s top scorers within the first 20 minutes of the game, Eaton said.

“We had a few let-ups on defense, but we have some good sweepers and stoppers,” he said.

The Longhorns’ next contest will take them to Carbondale for a Tuesday afternoon game at Colorado Rocky Mountain School. Kickoff is scheduled for 4.