After a tough overtime loss Sept. 21, the Camp Verde High School boys soccer team failed to rebound and lost its third straight match Thursday, Sept. 23, this time to Northland Preparatory Academy, 3-1.
“These were two tough losses, but I think the team is holding [its] spirits together,” Camp Verde Head Coach Dave Miller said.
In the match against rival Chino Valley High School, the Cougars took a 3-1 lead in the second half Sept. 21 but a spirited comeback in the last six minutes by the Cowboys tied the match at 3-3, sending it to overtime.
After two overtime periods weren’t enough, the two teams went to penalty kicks which in the end, tilted in favor of Chino Valley, 3-3 [5-4, penalty kicks].
On Thursday, the Cowboys struggled to get their offense going, managing only 13 shots on goal.
![The Camp Verde High School boys soccer team lost to Chino Valley in overtime, 3-3 [5-4 penalty kicks]. Cody Gray looks to get his head on the ball against Chino Valley.](http://journalaz.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/JNL_CVHS_boys_soccer_9-29.jpg_1.jpg "Michele Bradley/Larson Newspapers")
In the first half, Camp Verde goalkeeper Marco Lozanilla allowed three goals by Northland Preparatory on nine shots.
Down 3-0, Miller pulled Lozanilla from between the posts, sending backup Andy Woodword to protect the goal.
The move worked for Camp Verde, and the defense stepped up, allowing only two shots on goal the entire second half.
The issue, however, was the Cowboys offense.
Senior Casey Gray fired a solid shot from 10 yards out in the 55th minute to score, bringing Camp Verde a little closer at 3-1, but that would be all the Cowboys could muster offensively.
“At this time, our chemistry isn’t right; we have to get it right in the next few weeks,” Miller said of his team.
With the two losses last week, the Cowboys are 2-6 overall on the season and 1-3 in the 1A-3A West region.
Camp Verde was in action again Tuesday, Sept. 28, when it played host to Verde Valley School. Results were unavailable at press time.
Next up, the Cowboys will play in the Old Pueblo Tournament, which is scheduled to take place Friday,
Oct. 1, and Saturday, Oct. 2.
After the tournament, Camp Verde will hit the road for four straight road matches before returning Tuesday, Oct. 19, when it plays host to Phoenix Country Day School.
The match against Grand Canyon High School at home Saturday, Oct. 23, will be the season finale for the Cowboys.
The Phoenix Country Day match is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start time while Camp Verde will play at 1 p.m. against Grand Canyon.
“If we can put more than one half together, we could be a tough team. Right now, it seems we play bad one half, and really good the other,” Miller said.
