Beginning the soccer season on March 12, hosting but losing 10-0 to 3A Alamosa didn’t surprise Tori Burch – well aware that after graduating nine players last spring, Ignacio could be in for a rough ride in 2024.
What did come as something of a shock was when the former Lady ’Cat learned she’d be in the driver’s seat.
“When she let me know that she wasn’t going to be able to come back this year …. I was like, ‘Oh no! What are we going to do?’” said Burch, recalling when predecessor Alisha Gullion, at IHS’ helm since 2018, was stepping down. “But she was the one who actually – well, her and the girls – encouraged me to apply for the position.”
Ignacio went 0-15 overall (0-6 in the 2A Intermountain-South) in 2023 and lost a truckload of talent including first-team all-league goalie Trinity Strohl and second-team defender Trinity Crane, plus prime scoring threats Harmony Reynolds, Laci Brunson and Faye Hackett. Current senior Willow Schulz, a second-team all-league defender last spring, is back in the fold and is one player Burch will look to for leadership and intensity.
“Willow, she’s tough. Just so tough and so aggressive – I love it so much. That’s what our defense needs,” said Burch, who graduated in 2017. “So I’ve really been relying on Willow to lead in that part.”
The coach also singled out seniors Darlyn Mendoza-Lechuga, Kristianna Brann and Jillian Middlebrook – plus senior Zoey Ashley, who first suited up in ’23 – as cornerstones of any successes the squad may savor, and gave sophomore Bella Lorenzini the start at goalkeeper against the Mean Moose.
“I feel I can put Kris anywhere. She’s pretty solid and I would consider her our biggest leader,” said Burch, who will be assisted in ’24 by Jade Richards and Katie Whiteskunk. “Darlyn’s a forward and I’ve been relying on her to kind of help out our other two strikers. Both that I’ve put up (as attackers in the formation) so far are freshmen, very new, but once they can work together and get in their groove I think they’ll be ok.”
After IHS’ spring break concludes on the 23rd, the Lady ’Cats (0-1) are set to see action at 4:30 p.m. on March 26, versus Bayfield (1-0, 1-0 3A Southwestern). Crested Butte Community School is then slated to visit IHS Field on the 30th and get league play underway at noon. Ignacio will then get a first taste of away action with an April 4 trip to Del Norte.
According to Burch, she’s going to continue some systems that Gullion ran. Burch will also focus on the offense and midfield areas while assistant coach Jade Richards will focus on defense.
Burch hopes because she coaches volleyball at Ignacio Middle School that she will develop relationships with the girls who play both sports over the years and those relationships will help the soccer program grow.
