After falling to Battle Mountain High School in overtime on Aug. 23 at Tiger Field in Breckenridge, the Summit High School boys soccer team has played exceptionally well on the road.

Since last Saturday, the Tigers have defeated two highly competitive 4A Western Slope League teams to improve its record to 2-1 on the season.

The two wins move the Tigers up to second in league rankings, right behind Eagle Valley High School, which is currently undefeated in league play. 

On Saturday, Aug. 27, the Tigers beat the Steamboat Springs Sailors by a score of 2-1 while on the road.

The win was due in large part because of senior Alex Espinoza, who scored both goals for the Tigers and gave the team momentum as it prepared for its next league matchup against the Glenwood Springs Demons on Thursday, Sept. 1.

In Glenwood Springs, Summit was the first to score in the 80-minute match, but the Demons were quick to answer the goal from the Tigers.

Following the game-tying goal by the Demons, the floodgates opened for the home team. Glenwood managed to build a 3-1 lead on the Tigers with 20 minutes remaining in the match.

“It was a weird day. Unfortunately a lot of people were just off,” head coach Jotwan Daniels said of the Tigers’ play. 

After a third-straight goal by the Demons, Daniels was convinced by his assistant coach, JJ Bosgraaf, to make a couple of adjustments and start attacking without fear of another Demons goal.

The shift to be more offensively minded led to two quick chances from the Tigers. Before long, senior Jonah Mocatta executed on a Summit corner kick, and junior Alexander Elsig scored off a free-kick opportunity to even the score at 3-3 with about 12 minutes to go.

The two quick goals from the Tigers swung the momentum back over to Summit’s side of the field. With the confidence to now win the game, the Tigers continued to ramp up the pressure and create opportunities close to the net. 

Much like the Tigers win against Erie, Gallo found himself with the ball in front of the net. He buried the ball past the Demons goaltender to give Summit the 4-3 win.

“If you asked me if we would get three goals in 20 minutes, I would’ve said maybe two,” Daniels said. “But the boys proved me wrong.”

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The Tigers will face Atlas Preparatory School in Colorado Springs on Wednesday, Sept. 7, before returning to Summit High School on Saturday, Sept. 10, for its game against Palisade.

Over the next few days, the Tigers will focus on recovery before getting back to training hard early next week.