CMB girls open soccer season with loss to Gilbert

MAXWELL — There was some good news and bad news with Collins-Maxwell/Baxter’s season-opening girls’ soccer loss to Gilbert on Thursday.

The good news was, long-time CMB soccer coach Gary Cummings got a great chance to look at some of his younger players and how they stacked up against one of the better teams in the Heart of Iowa Conference.

The bad news was that Gilbert still has Olivia Stearns on the roster for one more season.

Stearns was at her best on CMB’s pitch Thursday against the Raiders, scoring four goals during the Tigers’ 11-1 victory in the season opener for both teams.

“We played a really good first 20 minutes in the first half and then the first five minutes of the second half was great, too,” Cummings said. “The girls never gave up. It’s a work in progress.”

Stearns scored the second most goals in the entire state last year with 44. In her final season, the Tiger senior is well on her way to another record-setting campaign.

CMB scored two goals all of last year. The Raiders (0-1) didn’t score their first goal until April 21. This season, junior Tatum Tremain made sure CMB cracked the scoreboard early in the season.

Trailing 2-0, freshman Caitlyn Bruntz took a through ball on the outside and sent it back to the middle of the field where Tatum was parked just in front of the goal.

Gilbert goalie Erin Kimle challenged the pass, but Tremain went around her and shot into the back of the net.

That made it 2-1, but Gilbert (1-0) led 9-1 at halftime. The Tigers ended the match by way of the 10-goal mercy rule with a pair of goals in the first 11 minutes of the second half.

“It takes time when you mix older players with younger players,” Cummings said. “We need to figure out where we need to be, but I thought we did a lot of good things tonight.”

Emily Branson scored two goals and had four assists for the Tigers. Molly Laws added a pair of goals and an assist and Hannah Thatcher matched her entire 2016 season production with a pair of goals.

Kimle got the win in net for Gilbert, but CMB attempted only six shots and three shots on goal.

“We need to go to the ball more,” Cummings said. “We are waiting for the ball to come to us instead of attacking. We have to be in attacking mode.”

CMB senior goal keeper Amanda Harrington was challenged all night. The Tigers peppered Harrington with 29 first-half shots and 20 shots on goal.

Gilbert scored two second-half goals on five shots.

Harrington, who kept the Raiders in the match early, finished with 12 saves.

“We changed to a 5-3-2 defense that we haven’t practiced at all,” Cummings said. “We usually play a 4-4-2 but we dropped Emily (Coughenour) back and used her as a sweeper. That is something we’ll continue to work on.”

CMB looks for its first win at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Webster City.