LAKEWOOD — Time became irrelevant Saturday night at Lakewood Memorial Field in the Class 4A boys soccer state quarterfinal between Niwot and D’Evelyn.
After 80 minutes of regulation time and two 15-minute overtime periods the scoreboard still showed 0-0. A pair of D’Evelyn seniors — goalie Chris Linden and Sam Van Sickle — stepped up big in the eventual game-deciding shootout. Linden made two saves and Van Sickle hammered home the game-winning goal for a 4-3 shootout victory for Jaguars.
“It was so nerve-wracking. I was just trying to keep myself composed and try not to jump too early to show where I was going,” Linden said after celebrating on the field with teammates and D’Evelyn students. “Niwot played a great game and their keeper (Jack Fitzgerald) had a great game. They are a great team.”
Linden’s key moment came early in the shootout. Niwot senior Billy Hoffmann’s low shot was saved on the first shot of the shootout. The Jaguars held an early advantage and never trailed.
“I saw him (Hoffmann) open his hips up a little bit. I thought he was going to go to my left,” Linden said describing the diving save. “He placed it great. I was lucky to get there.”
Jack Draeb, Christian Denton and Charles Doebbler all hit the back of the net for the Jaguars on their shots during the shootout. Niwot hung in with goals from Justin Barkow, Eric Fayeulle and Angel Perez.
D’Evelyn’s Trey Martinez went high on the Jaguars’ second shot, but Linden came up big again on the ensuing kick. Niwot’s Touzong Xiong’s shot was saved by Linden on the Cougars’ third try.
“He (Linden) has been really firm and secure,” D’Evelyn coach Paul Moline said. “He had a couple of questions for me before the shootout. I just shook my head and told him, ‘Just go. You’re the goalkeeper. I don’t need to tell you what to do.’ He is very big, relaxed and calm.”
It all came down to the Jaguars’ fifth and final shooter in Van Sickle. A goal would wrap up the victory and first appearance in state semifinals for the program. A miss or save, the shootout would go into extra kicks.
“It was a big shot,” Van Sickle said. “I’m glad I was the one to make it.”
Van Sickle’s hard shot got past Fitzgerald. D’Evelyn’s student section stormed the field to celebrate the victory.
“I knew he (Van Sickle) would step up. He is a big time player,” Linden said. “We practiced shootouts all week at the end of practices. It’s shooters like him that help me make the saves I need.”
D’Evelyn (16-2) squares off against top-seeded and undefeated Air Academy (18-0) in the first of two state semifinal games to be played Wednesday, Nov. 5, at Sports Authority Field in Parker. The Kadets edged Littleton 1-0 on Saturday night.
D’Evelyn and Air Academy is the first scheduled semifinal to start at 5 p.m. Ponderosa (13-5) and The Classical Academy (18-0) is the second semifinal Wednesday night.
“I thought it was a good battle,” Niwot coach Rob Johnson said after the loss that ended a 12-game winning streak for the Cougars (15-2-1). “I thought we were the better team in the second half, but we didn’t put our chances in and we didn’t in overtime too. It’s just unlucky.”
D’Evelyn outshot Niwot 3 to 0 in the first 40 minutes. However, the Cougars had a 7 to 0 shot advantage in the second half and 30 minutes of overtime play.
“I thought we were going to get two or three (goals) in that first half. We were right there,” Moline said.
Despite not getting a shot on goal after halftime, the Jaguars did have the best scoring chance. In the 51st minute Doebbler rocketed an outside shot off the crossbar. Junior Giovanni Franzese headed the rebound, but his header also hit the crossbar and was eventually cleared.
“I personally didn’t want it to go to a shootout, but we did it and we won,” Van Sickle said.
