LAKEWOOD — Columbine’s boys soccer team made some history Tuesday night at Lakewood Memorial Field.
The Rebels (8-5, 3-3 in Class 5A Jeffco League) clinched a winning regular-season record for the first time since the 2014 season with a 2-1 victory over rival Chatfield.
“Our goal is playoffs,” Columbine junior Ty Santangelo said after the Rebels also ended a 5-game losing streak to Chatfield that dated back to the 2016 season. “This was a big win to attain that goal.”
Santangelo put in the eventual game-winning goal in the 64th minute on a direct free-kick that beat Chatfield senior goalie Logan Tangye. The junior delivered in the pressure situation with the game tied at 1-1.
“I saw the way the wall was angled. The keeper kind of wanted me to go to the far post. I kind of saw him leaning one way,” Santangelo said. “I knew if I could get it over the wall and with the grass already wet the ball was skid into the goal.”
Columbine and Chatfield both had scoring chances late, but the goal by Santangelo held up to give the Rebels the victory.
“That was just a great up and over the wall,” Columbine coach Brian Todd said of the eventual game-winning goal. “It was great placement. It’s extremely tough for a goal keeper to get to that side that the wall is covering. It was a perfect strike. We had two unbelievable strikes tonight that gave us the win.”
The other Columbine goal came off the foot of junior Brian Marshall in the 27th minute that put the Rebels up 1-0. Santangelo took a corner kick that got headed out to Marshall, who rocketed a shot into the back of the net for the first goal.
“Someone called it world class. You don’t see that except on the highest levels,” Todd said of Marshall’s goal. “Brian Marshall is a kid who can really strike the ball. He has the technique to do it. It’s a moment in his life that he’ll remember forever.”
Chatfield (7-6, 4-2) tied the game at 1-1 in the 47th minute. A corner kick by senior Mino Elze was headed by junior Christian Miller. Miller’s redirection perfectly placed the ball over the heads of Columbine goalie Chase Heck.
The loss leaves the Chargers in a tough spot when it comes to making the 32-team playoff field. Chatfield was No. 32 in the RPI standings heading into Tuesday’s game. The schedule isn’t easy for the Chargers.
Chatfield wraps up its regular season with a pair of games back at Lakewood Memorial Field. The Chargers face Lakewood at 5 pm Friday before getting a shot against conference-leading and No. 5-ranked Valor Christian on Thursday, Oct. 21.
Columbine — No. 23 in RPI before the win Tuesday — also has a pair of league games remaining. The Rebels host Dakota Ridge at 7 pm Friday night before hitting the road to face Arvada West on Wednesday, Oct. 20, at the North Area Athletic Complex.
“We needed a couple more wins,” Todd said of the Rebels’ first trip to the playoffs since 2014. “This was a big win. Being a win over our rival makes it super fun. Chatfield is a great team.”