YOUR AD HERE »

Huskies extend their streak in Steamboat

Joel Reichenberger
Special to the Daily
Battle Mountain's Miles Joersz celebrates after putting away a corner kick to give his team a 1-0 lead on the road on Tuesday in Steamboat Springs. The Huskies went on to win, 3-0.
Joel Reichenberger | Special to the Daily |

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — The Battle Mountain soccer team took advantage of its first big opportunity on Tuesday night with senior Miles Joersz burying the ball in the net to capitalize on a slick corner kick play midway through the first half.

Steamboat, meanwhile, missed moments later on what would be its best opportunity of the game. That set the tempo for the game, which the Huskies went on to win, 3-0, in the renewal of the rivalry up north.

The result knocked the Sailors off their perch atop the Western Slope League, knotting Battle Mountain, Steamboat and Eagle Valley with one loss each.



“Battle Mountain, they’re a good team and they were in very good form tonight,” Steamboat coach Rob Bohlmann said.

Corner kicks proved particularly bountiful for Battle Mountain on Tuesday night, something which pleased Huskies coach David Cope after a poor showing on set pieces against The Classical Academy on Friday.

Support Local Journalism



Joersz started Tuesday’s scoring by hammering a corner, played softly right through the middle of the goalie box, for a 1-0 lead.

He made it 2-0 later in the game when he put away a second opportunity from a penalty kick. That was all the insurance Battle Mountain would need, but Tony Velasco scored again moments later anyway.

“It’s a designed play we have and we just executed it great,” Joersz said about his first goal. “This was huge for us, our biggest test. After losing to (The Classical Academy), this was our reality check to prove to ourselves we have fight.”

The Sailors took the ball from midfield, charged quickly down and blasted away. Battle Mountain junior goalie Alan Villegas was right there for the save. The ball bounced back into the field and Steamboat shot again and again Villegas was there for the save. The Sailors got yet another shot, but chipped the ball over the goal and out of play.

“That’s a game-winning save,” Cope said. “Keepers don’t get to score game-winning goals, but when they get a save like that, that gave us the platform to win the game.”

Steamboat threatened several more times later in the game, but Battle Mountain’s two-goal flurry put the game away in the 68th minute.

The win extends the Huskys’ winning streak against Steamboat to 10 games.

The teams meet again Oct. 20, the last game of the regular season for both.

“We always have that to look forward to,” Beurskens said. “We have so much in between we need to improve on, and I believe we can do that.”

Battle Mountain is home on Thursday for Glenwood Springs.


Support Local Journalism