ENGLEWOOD — No. 3 Kent Denver field hockey beat No. 5 Denver East in a big matchup on Friday afternoon.
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Category: Field Hockey
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Top-ranked Colorado Academy field hockey narrowly tops No. 2 Palmer Ridge
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com) MONUMENT — The battle of the state’s top two field hockey teams was every bit as intense as one could imagine. And, like any game between two squads who are so evenly matched, it all came down to who made the first mistake.
Palmer Ridge finally cracked and while trying to clear a Colorado Academy scoring rush. The ball was cleared right in front of the Bears’ net and found its way right onto Nellie Turnage’s stick.
With the first clean look of the game, she buried the shot to give the Mustangs (4-0 overall, 3-0 in league) a 1-0 lead that would hold on to be the final score Saturday afternoon at Don Breese Stadium.
“I just got the ball and aimed for the corner,” Turnage said. “They’re a really good team so I’m happy in went in, but they put up a great fight and I’m looking forward to playing them again this season.”
It was difficult for either team to find shots early in the game. The Bears (3-1, 2-1) controlled the ball for most of the first half, but couldn’t find any room to get a shot off.
When the Mustangs were able to gain possession, they were getting much better looks at the net. They nearly gained an early lead as Maddie Webster drew Palmer Ridge goalie Sophia Parker out of the net and tried to loft a shot over her head. Parker wasn’t fooled and knocked the ball away to keep the game scoreless.
“The positive thing is that Maddie knew to pull (the ball) back out,” Mustangs coach Veroncia Scott. “That’s what I was happy with, that we didn’t try to annihilate the goalkeeper with our sticks.”
It looked like the first half was going to end without either team registering a goal until Turnage intercepted an attempted clear and put the Mustangs up with 2:02 left in the half.
After the break, the teams once again came out very stingy on the defensive side. Colorado Academy was able to pressure a little more on the offensive side of the ball, but like the Bears in the first half, they didn’t get too many clean looks at the net.
Possessing the ball was a key factor in killing the clock, but the Bears were able to get one final rush to try and tie the game, but to no avail.
“Our nemesis is putting the ball in the net,” Bears coach Paul Lewis said. “Once these girls get that figured out, I don’t think there’s any team in the state that can really hang with us.”
The Mustangs, who have won 45 consecutive games, took over the top spot from the Bears in this week’s CHSAANow field hockey poll and showed that they were worthy of getting those votes for the top spot.
But Scott won’t let this win trickle into the heads of the Mustangs and they’ll get right back to work and prepare for the next one.
“It’s a positive, but I’m very much about one game at a time,” Scott said. “This is great and we can utilize this see what we need to work on, but it’s a new game next week.”
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Colorado Academy now atop field hockey ranking
Colorado Academy field hockey is No. 1 in the sport’s ranking this week. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com) Colorado Academy is the new No. 1 team in the field hockey ranking.
The Mustangs, 2-0-0 to begin the season, received four of the six first-place votes to edge out preseason No. 1 Palmer Ridge in the CHSAANow.com poll. CA has now won 43 consecutive games, and is unbeaten over 54 games.
Palmer Ridge is also 2-0-0 to start 2015, and is No. 2.
Kent Denver held steady at No. 3, Regis Jesuit moved into the ranking at No. 4 and Denver East is No. 5.
The ranking, voted upon by coaches, is the official poll of the Association. Rankings are released each Monday during the season.
A complete ranking is below.
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CHSAANow.com Field Hockey Poll
Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. This ranking has no bearing on postseason seeding.
Field hockey RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Colorado Academy (4) 2-0-0 28 2 2-0-0 2 Palmer Ridge (2) 2-0-0 26 1 2-0-0 3 Kent Denver 0-0-1 16 3 0-0-1 4 Regis Jesuit 1-0-1 10 – 1-0-1 5 Denver East 1-1-0 7 4 1-1-0 Others receiving votes: Golden 2, Mountain Vista 1. Dropped out Cherry Creek (5). -
Photos: No. 5 Cherry Creek field hockey tops Mountain Vista
GREENWOOD VILLAGE — Cherry Creek field hockey, ranked No. 5 in the preseason, beat Mountain Vista 6-0 on Thursday.
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Field hockey preview: Kent Denver coach Kathy James remains a pivotal figure in the sport
Under Kathy James’ tenure, Kent Denver has turned into the state’s most successful field hockey program. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com) [dropcap]A[/dropcap]t the end of the workday, when Kathy James leaves University of Denver, where she teaches epidemiology, she heads to another world of complexity — competitive teenage girls. This week, the field hockey pioneer heads into her 19th season coaching at Kent Denver, her 17th as head coach.
The Sun Devils have won nine championships. That figure is the most titles of any other program, and Kent continuously churns out high-level collegiate players.
Though the program’s run has been cut short in semifinals the past three years, they held the trophy the four consecutive years prior.
“You can’t be the crème de la crème every year. You just can’t,” said James, the winningest field hockey coach in the state. “Eventually someone steps in. And the level of expectation, whether self or externally imposed takes a toll.”
James’ most recent championship win was in 2011 against Colorado Academy, last season’s state champion.
In the preseason rankings, Kent Denver sits in third, behind No. 2 Colorado Academy and No. 1 Palmer Ridge, who beat Kent in the semifinals last year by a goal.
This year, James and her Sun Devils may or may not step onto the turf on Halloween, date of this year’s state championship, but it won’t bother James either way.
“Of course the last championship game is always my goal, and the girls know that,” she said. “But I don’t impose a disappointment factor on them if it doesn’t happen. It’s just that as athletes, you have to have a goal to work towards, but so much good happens along the way.”
(Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com) Field hockey is close to home for the esteemed coach, as her husband, Brian Nutter, is the president of the Colorado Field Hockey Umpires Association, and was the head coach of Mountain Vista field hockey before that. The spouses faced off in a championship game in 2010, where Nutter took the win.
“We vent frustrations, we run scenarios, we help each other see a different view,” said James of her shop talk at home. “There is rarely a day we don’t speak some field hockey.”
Though the game has seen much evolution in nearly two decades, James’ philosophy has remained the same; her method to success consistent.
When ESPN named her high school coach of the week in 1999, she attributed her early careers wins to fundamentals, conditioning and simplicity.
“It’s funny how little that changes,” James said. “The game has shifted so much, but at this level, fundamentals will always be so important to me for development. Conditioning was a game-changer then and even more so now that everyone plays on turf.
“And today’s sport is more high speed with less stoppage, so my simplicity theory has changed a bit, but it is merely a reflection of the sport’s growth.”
Colorado graduates nine all-state players from last season, including three from the Kent Denver squad. But James doesn’t feel it will be a setback, or a rebuild year, as they are not alone in losing pivotal players.
Last year, the coaches comprised a team of 15 players from seven different schools to compete in a national tournament — 14 of them were seniors.
“Nearly every school lost one or two key girls. There won’t be a decline in skill, just a more uniform level of play, a more uniform competiveness,” James said. “Field hockey will just have a different character across the board in Colorado. And nobody is out of the running.”
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Field hockey preview
- Preseason rankings
- Defending state champion: Colorado Academy
- Regular season begins: Aug. 27
- Postseason start date: Oct. 23
- State championships: Oct. 31, All-City Stadium
- Returning all-state players: Emily Munn, Jr., Palmer Ridge; Emma Richards, Sr., Colorado Academy; Edie Statham, Sr., Palmer Ridge; Claire Stemper, Sr., Regis Jesuit; Fe Van Berhel, Jr., Denver East.
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Palmer Ridge on top of preseason field hockey ranking
(Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com) Palmer Ridge will begin the 2015 season as the No. 1-ranked team in the CHSAANow.com Field Hockey Poll.
The Bears, runner-up a season ago, received four of the six first-place votes and amassed 30 total points to lead the ranking.
Colorado Academy, a three-time defending champion which is riding a winning streak of 41 games — and an unbeaten streak of 52 — begins the year at No. 2.
Annual contender Kent Denver is No. 3, and is followed by Denver East (No. 4) and Cherry Creek (No. 5).
The ranking, voted upon by coaches, is the official poll of the Association. Rankings are released each Monday during the season.
A complete ranking is below.
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CHSAANow.com Field Hockey Poll
Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. This ranking has no bearing on postseason seeding.
Field hockey RK TEAM W-L PTS 1 Palmer Ridge (4) 0-0-0 30 2 Colorado Academy (2) 0-0-0 20 3 Kent Denver 0-0-0 17 4 Denver East 0-0-0 14 5 Cherry Creek 0-0-0 9 Others receiving votes: Regis Jesuit 7, Golden 6, St. Mary’s Academy 2. -
Top moments of the 2014-15 sports season
(Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com) The 2014-15 sports season was jam-packed with memorable moments. There were buzzer-beaters (including full-court shots!), walk-offs, goal-line stands, clutch putts and even family reunions.
We saw all kinds of championship celebrations, including championship parades.
There were touchdowns, beam routines, and penalty kicks. There were ice bucket challenges. (Remember those?)
We’ve compiled a list of our favorite moments from 2014-15, in no particular order.
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A national presence
Lewis-Palmer volleyball set the tone for the school year when the Rangers went unbeaten at 29-0 and claimed a second-straight Class 4A championship. In doing so, Lewis-Palmer captured national attention along the way, and was ultimately crowned national champion by MaxPreps.
“Winning a national title never entered our mind,” Lewis-Palmer coach Susan Odenbaugh told MaxPreps.
More national attention soon followed.
Grandview girls soccer, the 5A champion, finished first in MaxPreps national spring rankings.
A few weeks later, Eaton baseball was named MaxPreps’ small-school champion. The Reds captured 3A in the fall to win a state-best 11th championship.
The national attention didn’t only extend to teams, though.
In May, Mountain Vista junior Mallory Pugh was named the national girls soccer player of the year by Gatorade.
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Rye’s hidden ball trick
It had already been a crazy day, with some history behind it. But it merely set the stage for one of the best endings all season.
Rye baseball had lost in the semifinals three consecutive years, and may have been feeling the weight of it on May 23.
The Thunderbolts, overwhelming favorites to win 2A this spring, trailed Hotchkiss 6-0 in the semifinals before rallying to take a lead just before a thunderstorm delayed the game and forced the teams to switch fields in the sixth inning. When they resumed, Rye pulled off a hidden-ball trick (video via KRDO) to seal its 9-8 semifinal win.
Rye pitcher Junior Ortiz faked throwing a ball away on a pickoff attempt, and his fielders reacted accordingly. The Hotchkiss runner took off toward third, but Ortiz was able to tag him out.
“We weren’t real sure if it was going to work,” Rye coach Stacey Graham said of the hidden-ball trick. “We practice it quite a bit and we ran it one time successfully, and it worked again. It’s a tough play to do and the guys executed it real well.”
Rye went on to win the 2A title later in the day after yet another rally.
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Air Academy and Sand Creek set football records
(Via @AAHSAthletics on Twitter) We very nearly erased the football record book and started it over after Air Academy and Sand Creek met on the football field last September.
The two teams accounted for 130 total points, and countless records, in Sand Creek’s 68-62 win. Included in the record performances were 553 yards and nine touchdowns rushing for Sand Creek’s Daniel Quin, and 589 yards passing from Air Academy’s Adam Brown.
In all, four records were set outright, and another 14 entries were made in the record book.
“At the end of the game, the kids were so tired, they could barely shake hands,” Sand Creek coach Rod Baker said. “It was like a brotherhood between them, what they’d been through. It was an amazing event. The high school spirit was amazing tonight for both teams. And they just battled.”
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56-yard field goal to win in football playoffs
Ralston Valley, a No. 1 seed, was 3.4 seconds away from being the first major upset victim in the Class 5A football playoffs.
The Mustangs had one shot at advancing, and it was slim: A 56-yard field goal.
Yet Collin Root, a senior who had made just two field goals all year, put it through to send Ralston Valley on to the quarterfinals.
“With that kind of pressure,” Ralston Valley coach Matt Loyd said afterward, “it’s just an unbelievable kick.”
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6 OTs in hockey’s semifinals
On and on and on they played. Through one overtime, the next, and the next and the next.
Cherry Creek and Dakota Ridge battled through six overtimes late into the night on March 5.
“We basically played — that was two games, right?” Dakota Ridge coach Alex Hines said after the game.
The Bruins ultimately won on Chris Nitchen’s goal to clinch a spot in the championship game.
“There’s no loser here,” Cherry Creek coach Jeff Mielnicki said. “They played so hard. We had guys completely dehydrated, drinking whatever they could, but we somehow found a way.”
Cherry Creek went on to win the state title two nights later — after three more overtimes.
The rash of OTs actually caused the hockey committee to change the overtime rules.
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Chaparral, holding onto teammate’s memory, wins Jazz title
Thousands of fans packed into the Denver Coliseum in early December to watch the state spirit championships. It’s often a raucous affair. But when Chaparral’s jazz team took to the stage, a hush fell across the arena.
Many knew Chaparral’s story: Taylor Llewellyn, their friend and teammate, passed in October. The Wolverines’ routine, narrated by Taylor’s mother, honored her memory.
The routine itself was a powerful moment, eclipsed only by the announcement of the team’s championship later on.
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Jesse Reed wins fourth wrestling championship
Paonia senior Jesse Reed became the 18th four-time wrestling champion in state history in February when he won the 2A 126-pound championship.
“Before my match, all I could think about is, ‘I’m one match away, I’m one match away from being up there with all the elites,’” Reed said. “It’s an honor, it truly is.”
Reed was also a member of Paonia’s football team which won the 1A championship.
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Never-ending spring rain finally ends
A wet All-Star Park in Lakewood. (Jenn Roberts-Uhlig/CHSAANow.com) The spring championship season was disrupted in nearly every way imaginable by an unprecedented amount of bad weather.
The entire girls tennis tournament was forced to move dates, 5A girls golf only got one day of play in, baseball was delayed many multiple times, but ultimately, the rain and thunderstorms ceased long enough for play to complete.
In fact, the weather got so laughable that the 5A baseball championship was delayed by lightning in the seventh inning.
Dear #rain,
Please stop.
Thanks,
– Spring championships & postseason#copreps— CHSAA (@CHSAA) May 6, 2015
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Cherry Creek and Valor Christian play epic 5A football championship
(Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com) It was a heavy-weight fight, and it very much lived up to its expectations.
Cherry Creek and Valor Christian’s matchup in the 5A football title left long lines of people waiting to get in. Once they did, they saw Cherry Creek win an epic 25-24 back-and-forth game.
The deciding moment? A two-point conversion with five minutes to play.
“It was a gamble,” Cherry Creek coach Dave Logan said after the game, “and the kids made it work.”
“I knew I could do it,” said DJ Luke, who scored the conversion. “I just wanted to help my team win. It’s the greatest feeling ever.”
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Standley Lake wins gymnastics title after program is nearly canceled
Standley Lake won the 4A gymnastics championship last October. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com) In January 2014, there was to be no more Standley Lake gymnastics program. Yet, come October, it was Standley Lake holding up the 4A championship trophy.
How?
“Coming into this year, we only had three girls and so we just kept trying to get as many girls as we could to come out,” Standley Lake coach Kristen Larrington said. “We have five seniors, one junior, and two freshman. So we fought. We wanted it from day one.”
The Gators were led by Jordan Ireland, who finished second in the all-around competition.
“The fact that we even got enough girls to compete is still unbelievable,” Ireland said. “Actually winning is even better.”
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Chaparral boys basketball wins 2OT game with four players
Chaparral beat Denver East in an epic game in January. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com) In January, Chaparral and Denver East boys basketball met in a highly anticipated game.
The Wolverines would win in two overtimes — but only had four players at the end of the game.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that,” Chaparral coach Rob Johnson said the morning after the game. “There were so many crazy things that happened just to even go to that point.”
The last Wolverine (Peter Wilson) fouled out with 25 seconds to play in the second overtime.
“I said, ‘Peter, you cannot foul, we don’t have any players left on the bench.’ He goes in there and gets a foul,” Johnson said, laughing.
Chaparral won 82-78.
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Regis Jesuit’s Kyle Goodwin wins fourth diving title
Regis Jesuit’s Kyle Goodwin. (Cliff Lawson) Kyle Goodwin was marked for stardom before he even began his high school career. By the time it was over? Well, he had accomplished more than any other male diver in state history.
Goodwin became the first-ever four-time champion in the event when he won the title in May.
“I came in looking to get that fourth title,” Goodwin said. “It feels pretty good to come out on top for four years in a row.”
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800 records fall all over the place at state track
Smoky Hill’s Blake Yount. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com) A total of five classification records were set in the 800-meter run at this year’s state track meet.
Included: The boys’ all-classification record going down twice in 45 minutes.
Cheyenne Mountain’s William Mayhew ran 1:50.74 to win the 4A event on May 15. That broke the record of 1:51.20, which was set by Smoky Hill’s Blake Yount two weeks earlier.
“Records are meant to be broken,” Mayhew said after his race.
That they are.
Less than an hour later, Yount went 1:50.59.
“Time means more to me,” he said. “There’s kids in other classifications, like Mayhew and (Lyons’ Paul Roberts) — there are people who can race fast across the state. Time is a universal measurement to compare everyone.”
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Chatfield volleyball’s stunning run at state
The Denver Coliseum, site of the state volleyball tournament. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com) Chatfield volleyball didn’t even host a region during the 2014 season. But the Chargers, a No. 17 seed, advanced out of their region to make the state field of 12.
Once there, Chatfield rallied from down 0-2 in its second match of pool play to force a tiebreaker against Eaglecrest and Cherry Creek, their poolmates.
The Chargers had to beat Cherry Creek in a winner-moves-on set (they did, 25-22), and then Eaglecrest (they did, 25-21) to reach the semfinals.
The crowd only kept buzzing when Chatfield beat Rampart 3-1 in those semifinals to advance to the title game — the lowest seed to ever do so. Ultimately, Grandview ended Chatfield’s run there when the Wolves repeated as champion.
“I loved watching Chatfield progress through the tournament,” said Grandview senior Haley McLaren. “They fought their way through.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of my team. They never gave up,” Chatfield coach Stephanie Schick said. “The believe my girls have shown this day has been amazing and a memory forever.”
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Air Academy stuns Longmont in 4A boys basketball championship
Air Academy won the 4A boys basketball title. (James Bradbury) Longmont, for all intents and purposes, was the favorite to win the 4A boys basketball title this season. And, in fact, the Trojans rolled to a 27-0 record en route to the title game in March.
Yet Air Academy had some championship experience in their corner. Five players, including three cousins, had helped the Kadets win the 4A boys soccer title in the fall. And Air Academy jumped out to a 26-8 lead.
Longmont did rally, tying the game at 34 late in the third quarter. Ultimately, the two teams went to overtime, where Air Academy pulled out a 64-59 win.
“Most of us had already played in two state championships,” said Air Academy star David Louthan. “I think it helped us stay more composed. We were used to the pressure.”
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Colorado Academy’s streaks stretch in field hockey
Colorado Academy won yet another field hockey championship. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com) Colorado Academy won a third-straight field hockey championship last fall. In the process, the Mustangs extended their winning streak to 41 games, as well as an unbeaten streak to 52 (50-0-2).
Colorado Academy went 17-0-0 during the 2014 season, and outscored opponents 7-0 during the postseason.
“They’re a damn good team,” said Palmer Ridge coach Paul Lewis, whose team faced CA in the final.
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Vail Mountain wins first 2A girls soccer title
Vail Mountain players await the 2A trophy. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com) Girls soccer is growing in Colorado. That necessitated the creation of a fourth classification — 2A — this season.
Vail Mountain scored the game-winning goal with 3:25 remaining to beat Dawson School for the first-ever 2A girls soccer championship in May.
It wasn’t only the first-ever 2A title contested. It was also the first girls championship of any kind for Vail Mountain.
“This has been a season of a lifetime,” said Vail Mountain’s Tess Johnson, who was later named 2A player of the year.
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Broomfield girls basketball sends coach out on top
Broomfield players surround coach Mike Croell after winning the 5A title. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com) Mike Croell is an iconic girls basketball coach in Colorado. And what better sendoff for an icon than a title?
Broomfield beat ThunderRidge in March to claim the 5A crown, and give 20-year coach Croell another championship just before his retirement.
“It means so much,” said Broomfield senior Brenna Fankell. “Being Croell’s last year, we wanted to win it for him.”
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Aspen wins first-ever boys lacrosse championship
(Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com) It was a group of boys who started playing lacrosse together for the first time 10 years ago. According to their coach, Mike Goerne, “They were the first kids to have lacrosse sticks in Aspen.”
In May, they became the first with a title, too.
Aspen beat Valor Christian 17-12 to win the 4A championship behind a barrage of early goals.
“They’ve been fighting for this the last 10 years,” Goerne said. “This is the final piece.”
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Softball equipment for a cause
The Diamond Project, setup at state softball. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com) Chaparral junior Emily Moore hatched a plan to donate softball equipment to less fortunate players in the Dominican Republic during the 2014 season.
The effort culminated at the state tournament, where Moore, her teammates, and her family, set up a booth to gather donations from across the state.
“I’ve never done anything like this,” Moore said.
Ultimately, all kinds of bats, cleats, helmets, catcher’s gear and softballs were sent down to the Dominican.
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Freshmen win No. 1 singles in girls tennis
Fairview’s Amber Shen. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com) Two freshmen rose to the top of the girls tennis world this spring. Fairview’s Amber Shen won No. 1 singles in 5A and Steamboat Springs’ Tatum Burger did the same in 4A.
“Even now, I don’t believe I won,” Shen said after her match. “Even at match point I wasn’t sure if I was going to win or not.”
Said Steamboat Springs coach John Aragon of Burger: “She’s like a little pitbull. She’ll fight to the end.”
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Fossil Ridge boys swim wins title on a relay
(Ray Chen/CHSAANow.com) Late during the 5A boys swimming and diving championships in May, Fossil Ridge needed a win in the 200-yard freestyle relay to secure a title.
The Sabercats got just that, edging out Cherry Creek by one-hundredth of a second, and beating Regis Jesuit — the team they were battling for the title — by 17-hundredths of a second.
“We knew we needed to win one of the two free relays,” Fossil Ridge coach Mark Morehouse said. “We didn’t know which one, but what we knew is that we couldn’t make a mistake.”
Fossil Ridge’s girls also won the 5A championship in the winter.
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All-state field hockey goalie Stemper commits to Michigan
Claire Stemper has committed to Michigan. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com) Claire Stemper, a member of CHSAANow.com’s all-state field hockey team each of the past two seasons, recently committed to Michigan.
The Class of 2016 graduate was 7-8-1 last season, and allowed just 21 goals in 16 games. She had a save percentage of .900.
Stemper’s commitment came along with the news that 2015 Raiders’ graduate Katie Lechner, a midfielder, had committed to Mercyhurst, a Division II program in Pennsylvania.
Both commitments were reported by the team’s official Twitter account:
https://twitter.com/RJHSFieldHockey/status/581195321847361537
Michigan finished last season 13-7, including 7-2 in the Big Ten.
Find more 2016 commitments in our database.
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All-state field hockey team for 2014 season
Colorado Academy’s Sterre Van Ede. (Courtesy of Trevor Brown) The 2014 all-state field hockey team is presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
This team was created following a lengthy process which included a vote of coaches.
Scroll down to see the entire team.
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All-state field hockey
Player of the year: Sterre Van Ede, Colorado Academy
Coach of the year: Marissa Copan, Golden
First team Name School Year Rebekah Abrams Denver East Senior Grace Imhoff Kent Denver Senior Emily Munn Palmer Ridge Sophomore Julia Murphy Colorado Academy Senior Emma Patterson Kent Denver Senior Emma Richards Colorado Academy Junior Kennedy Schumacher Kent Denver Senior Edie Statham Palmer Ridge Junior Claire Stemper Regis Jesuit Junior Fiona Sullivan Denver East Senior Fe Van Berhel Denver East Sophomore Sterre Van Ede Colorado Academy Senior Ashley Walker Palmer Ridge Senior Helena Wolf Denver East Senior -
Colorado Academy field hockey locks up three-peat with shutout in title game
Colorado Academy celebrates its third-straight field hockey championship. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com) DENVER – Celebrating state championships is nothing new for Colorado Academy’s field hockey team, but there was something about Saturday night that just felt a little sweeter.
The Mustangs capped a perfect season at All-City Stadium with a 2-0 shutout of Palmer Ridge in the championship game. It was a third consecutive title for the program. Over the last three seasons Colorado Academy is a remarkable 50-0-2 – the team’s previous loss came in the 2011 state championship game. Included are 41-consecutive wins.
But sending the team’s six seniors out on top meant more to the players and coaches than perhaps anything else. Seniors Julia Murphy and Henley Hall scored the two goals, and the seniors were all smiles after the game as they posed together with the trophy one last time.
“It’s amazing especially because the seniors have been such a key part to our team these last three years,” junior defender Emma Richards said. “The fact that they can win it their last year in high school is just amazing.”
Saturday’s finale was the third meeting between the two teams this year. The Mustangs (17-0) had won the previous two by scores of 2-1 and 3-1, but the defense played lights out when it mattered most. Palmer Ridge (12-4-2) had 11 penalty corners compared to only two for Colorado Academy, but the Bears struggled to get a shot off on those opportunities.
“We really worked on the corners these last couple weeks. We knew how they set up, and we know how to score on them. It’s just getting that final execution,” Palmer Ridge coach Paul Lewis said. “A tap here or there and it’s in and we’re back in it.
The Mustangs are 50-0-2 over their past 52 games. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com) “It was just not our night. They were able to keep us out.”
It was the fifth consecutive shutout for Colorado Academy, which outscored opponents 7-0 in the three postseason games. Bridget Sutter had a handful of stops in net, and Richards and senior Caroline Reisch were among the defenders who didn’t give the Bears many clean looks on the night.
The performance was that much more memorable given that Colorado Academy lost its top defenders to graduation a year ago, but Mustangs coach Veronica Scott knew the squad was in capable hands.
“I am so proud of our defense,” she said. “Gradually throughout the season … the defenders themselves have become more confident, but everyone else has had more confidence in them. I think when your teammates believe in you and trust you, you play better.”
While the Bears were unable to take advantage of their penalty corners, Colorado Academy scored on its very first chance. It took less than 11 minutes to find the net, as Richards sent a short corner straight ahead to Murphy, who ripped a hard shot past Palmer Ridge goalkeeper Cheradyn Pettit.
“The fact that we could get a stick there and get it in the goal,” Richards said, “it was just exhilarating.”
Hall added an insurance goal with less than eight minutes remaining in the first half. “Henley’s goal was a higher class. That movement that she did to receive, turn and just put it in the corner? That’s not a high school goal,” Scott said. “That’s a college and international goal.”
Colorado Academy was coming off a 1-0 overtime victory over Denver East on Wednesday that may have helped the team get off to such a strong start against Palmer Ridge.
“That East game was really good to shake out any complacency or anything like that we had on the team – not that we really carry much like that,” Scott said. “But what was really awesome was that it set us up mentally that we knew we had to come out hard.”
While Colorado Academy will lose six seniors, Palmer Ridge has 10 on its squad. The Bears, who also fell to the Mustangs in the 2012 title game, knocked off 2013 state runner-up Cherry Creek in the quarterfinals before edging No. 2 seed Kent Denver in the semifinals.
Lewis said this senior class is the final one at the school that got its start in the sport as freshmen, with the middle-school program now helping the incoming players gain experience prior to high school.
He was also proud of how his team battled Colorado Academy on all three occasions.
“We want to play the best. That’s how you get better,” Lewis said. “They’re a darn good team, and so are we.
“It’s about getting better, and as a program as a whole, we’re getting stronger.”
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Photos
