Lineup Shifts, Lapses Catch Up to East Mountain Girls in Loss to Cottonwood

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A depleted lineup and a relentless attack proved too steep a hurdle for the East Mountain girls soccer team on Thursday, as the Lady Timberwolves fell 9-0 to powerhouse Cottonwood Classical Prep at the Mesa Del Sol complex.

Cottonwood Classical (11-1) demonstrated its experience from the opening whistle, controlling possession and peppering the net against a youthful East Mountain side missing multiple starters due to academic ineligibility.

Despite the lopsided scoreline, East Mountain (6-4-1) avoided major breakdowns until late and continued to press forward in search of a breakthrough in the final seconds of regulation.

“There was moments everybody was in the game and kept their head in the game, and there was moments that we let it go, and we didn’t play as a team, and we didn’t play our position,” East Mountain head coach Rebel Lathrop said. “We’re missing a couple of our starters due to grades, so it changed the whole dynamic and affected mindsets and everything else coming into this game… It’s a tough week of games and not having people that we should have had affected people mentally.”

The lineup shuffling forced several Timberwolves into unfamiliar roles on the pitch, though Lathrop praised their willingness to adapt on short notice.

“We had players that played positions that they’ve never played before and did amazing and covered down just as they needed to, and held tight where they were,” Lathrop said. “Little things we got to work on (are) some mentality stuff and keeping our head in the game.”

The margin could have been wider if not for the work of East Mountain goalkeeper Blessing Chavez, who repeatedly turned away chances under sustained pressure. Lathrop noted marked growth in her composure, citing her resilience between the posts against a persistent barrage.

“Blessing killed it today,” Lathrop said. “She stepped up in a major way. She’s an amazingly talented goalie. This game, she fought. If she went down, she got up and moved back to position and tried to get in between the ball and everything again quickly. Blessing is a great athlete and she’s great in her position.”

With more than half the regular season complete, Lathrop believes the adversity faced on Thursday will serve as a building block for the remainder of the schedule.

“Sometimes it takes going through some hardships and having a bad dynamic to be able to come together and build,” Lathrop said. “That’s what is my position and my hardship now, is trying to overcome this with these young ladies and trying to get them to understand that, hey, yeah, it happened, but it’s over with, and we got to focus on what’s to come and make it happen.”