CHSAANow

Category: Girls Soccer

  • Kent Denver now No. 1 in 3A girls soccer ranking

    Kent Denver has taken over atop of the Class 3A girls soccer ranking.

    The Sun Devils, No. 3 last week, got six of the seven first-place votes from the CHSAANow.com voting panel.

    Previous No. 1 Colorado Academy dropped to No. 2. St. Mary’s is No. 3, Coal Ridge is No. 4 and Holy Family is No. 5.

    The 3A poll added No. 8 The Academy and No. 10 Jefferson Academy.

    The other two No. 1 teams remained the same from the previous poll. Those are Mountain Vista (5A) and Cheyenne Mountain (4A).

    There was one new team in the 5A poll — No. 10 Standley Lake.

    The 4A poll added three new teams: No. 7 Wheat Ridge, No. 8 Englewood and No. 9 Palisade.

    Complete polls for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Girls Soccer Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Mountain Vista (8) 7-0-0 115 1 4-0-0
    2 Rock Canyon (3) 6-0-0 103 2 2-0-0
    3 Pine Creek 6-1-0 76 3 2-1-0
    4 Fossil Ridge 4-0-1 72 6 2-0-0
    5 Cherry Creek 5-1-0 61 5 2-0-0
    6 Ralston Valley 6-0-0 51 8 1-0-0
    7 Fairview 5-1-0 40 7 3-0-0
    8 Legacy 4-1-0 37 4 1-1-0
    9 Columbine 6-1-0 22 9 0-0-0
    10 Standley Lake (1) 5-1-0 17 – 1-0-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Eaglecrest 16, Arvada West 9, Boulder 7, Brighton 6, Abraham Lincoln 5, Arapahoe 5, Regis Jesuit 4, Castle View 3, Rangeview 3, Chatfield 2, Grandview 2, Smoky Hill 2, Fort Collins 1, Prairie View 1.
    Dropped out
    Fort Collins (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Cheyenne Mountain (8) 4-0-1 95 1 1-0-0
    2 Sand Creek 6-0-0 74 5 3-0-0
    3 Valor Christian 5-1-0 66 2 1-1-0
    4 Broomfield 2-1-1 61 3 1-0-0
    5 Lewis-Palmer 4-0-2 57 4 2-0-0
    6 Evergreen 5-1-1 30 7 2-0-0
    7 Wheat Ridge (1) 5-2-0 25 – 2-0-0
    8 Englewood 5-0-0 23 – 0-0-0
    9 Palisade 6-0-0 21 – 1-0-0
    10 Battle Mountain 9-1-0 19 6 4-1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Green Mountain 17, Ponderosa 15, Palmer Ridge 12, Silver Creek 11, Skyview 10, Air Academy 7, Longmont 3, Pueblo Centennial 3, Centaurus 2, Glenwood Springs 2, Niwot 1, Windsor 1.
    Dropped out
    Palmer Ridge (8), Green Mountain (9), Windsor (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Kent Denver (6) 3-2-0 81 3 2-0-0
    2 Colorado Academy (1) 4-3-0 75 1 2-1-0
    3 St. Mary’s 4-1-0 71 4 2-0-0
    4 Coal Ridge 7-0-0 53 7 2-0-0
    5 Holy Family (1) 1-1-1 49 2 0-1-0
    6 Faith Christian 4-1-0 29 6 2-0-0
    7 Manitou Springs 5-2-0 23 9 2-0-0
    8 The Academy 4-1-0 20 – 2-0-0
    9 Frontier Academy 2-0-1 17 8 1-0-0
    10 Jefferson Academy 4-1-0 16 – 3-0-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Bayfield 15, The Classical Academy 14, Peak to Peak 10, Liberty Common 8, Evangelical Christian 6, Fountain Valley 6, Sterling 2, Alamosa 1.
    Dropped out
    The Classical Academy (5), Fountain Valley (10).

  • Photos: Regis Jesuit, Rocky Mountain tie in girls soccer

    AURORA — Regis Jesuit and Rocky Mountain both scored second-half goals en route to a 1-1 tie on Saturday.

    Kara Boldt scored for Rocky Mountain, while Kelsi Lidge scored for Regis. Rocky’s Taylor Guzzardo made nine saves, while Kylie Chisholm had five for Regis.

  • Late goal lifts Wheat Ridge over No. 9 Green Mountain in girls soccer

    Wheat Ridge Green Mountain girls soccer
    Wheat Ridge junior Sarah Painter, left, challenges Green Mountain junior Mia Dobbin as she tries to get a shot off during the second half Wednesday at Lakewood Memorial Field. The Farmers took a 1-0 victory in the Class 4A Jeffco League opener for both teams. (Dennis Pleuss)

    LAKEWOOD — Wheat Ridge continues to have Green Mountain’s number on the girls’ soccer pitch.

    The Farmers scored the game-winning goal in the 76th minute Wednesday at Lakewood Memorial Field to pull off a 1-0 victory. It was the Class 4A Jeffco League opener for both Wheat Ridge and Green Mountain.

    “We knew going in it was going to be a really tough game,” Wheat Ridge senior Shelly Browne said. “I’m glad we were able to put it away. It came down to the end.”

    Wheat Ridge Green Mountain girls soccer
    Wheat Ridge sophomore Susan Whitney (11) gets a pass away before Green Mountain senior Kelli Van Tassel can close in Wednesday at Lakewood Memorial Field. Whitney had the game-winning assist in the 76th minute for the Farmers in the 1-0 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)

    Browne scored the game-winning goal with under five minutes to play in regulation time. Wheat Ridge sophomore Susan Whitney did most of the work to score the lone goal. Whitney raced up the field with the ball on a counter attack and fed the ball to Browne. The senior slipped a shot past Green Mountain senior goalie Lindsey Hendon for the game-winner.

    “I just thought it was really well composed. Susan made the turn and took somebody on, but had the composure to see Shelly come open,” Wheat Ridge coach Dan Watkins said of the game-winning goal. “It’s a great goalkeeper (Hendon), great defense. To be able to sequence one together and put one in the net was a great goal.”

    Green Mountain had given up just two goals in its pervious four games, including shutout victories against Brighton and Lakewood.

    It was the first goal of the season for Browne, who leads the team with four assists so far for Wheat Ridge (4-2, 1-0 in league).

    “It was awesome,” Browne said. “She (Whitney) just found an opening and played the perfect ball. I just tapped it right in.”

    The conference rivals tied 0-0 in league play last season. Wheat Ridge pulled off the upset with a 2-1 victory in the second round of the 4A state tournament in the rematch against Green Mountain last year. The tie and loss to the Farmers were the only blemishes for the Rams last season.

    “When you play good programs and programs that deserve your attention I think you come out and give it your best effort,” Watkins said. “To get the first one in league and put us in position to get some momentum after spring break bodes well for us.”

    Wheat Ridge Green Mountain girls soccer
    Wheat Ridge freshman Abby Bausch makes a juggling save during her shutout victory in net for the Farmers on Wednesday against Class 4A Jeffco rival Green Mountain. (Dennis Pleuss)

    Wheat Ridge freshman goalkeeper Abby Bausch picked up her third victory in net for the Farmers this season. Bausch’s biggest save came in the 23rd minute when she snagged a shot on a one-on-one chance by Green Mountain junior Mia Dobbin.

    “Sometimes you just react and don’t think. That is what goalkeepers do,” Watkins said. “We are throwing her (Bausch) into the fire and she has stood up to the challenge.”

    Green Mountain (4-2, 0-1), ranked No. 9 in the latest CHSAANow.com 4A girls soccer poll, had its four-game winning streak snapped. The Rams opened the season with a 4-1 loss to 5A Jeffco’s Columbine, but reeled off victories against Dakota Ridge, Evergreen, Brighton and Lakewood before spring break.

    The Rams, defending 4A Jeffco champs, get back into action when they face Denver South in a non-league game scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at Green Mountain High School. The Rams return to conference play against Golden at 4 p.m. April 8, back at Lakewood Memorial.

    Wheat Ridge’s next game is a league contest against Conifer at 6 p.m. Friday at the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada.

    “We can’t just sit here and enjoy one win,” Watkins said. “We’ve got to figure out how to get the next one.”

    Wheat Ridge Green Mountain girls soccer
    Green Mountain junior Brittany Hensley (24) attempt to settle the ball in front of Wheat Ridge freshman Corina Wing (16) during the second half Wednesday at Lakewood Memorial Field. (Dennis Pleuss)

  • Photos: Cutler’s hat trick leads Fossil Ridge in top-10 girls soccer showdown

    WESTMINSTER — Grace Cutler completed her hat trick in the game’s final seconds to lead No. 6 Fossil Ridge to a 3-2 win over No. 4 Legacy on Tuesday afternoon.

    Kaylee Kennedy and Makenna O’Grady scored for Legacy.

  • Photos: Humpal’s goal holds up as Fort Collins girls soccer tops Horizon

    WESTMINSTER — Payton Humpal scored the game’s lone goal in the first half to lead No. 10 Fort Collins to a 1-0 win over Horizon on Tuesday. Nicole Dietrich had the assist.

  • Bonifazi scores early to lead Mountain Vista girls soccer over Fort Collins

    FORT COLLINS — Mia Bonifazi, one of two freshmen to start for the Mountain Vista girls soccer team Thursday night, put a goal in the back of the net from 12 yards out 1:57 into the Golden Eagles’ game at Fort Collins. The strike captured everything that made Mountain Vista successful in a 2-0 victory over the Lambkins at French Field.

    Mountain Vista (4-0) controlled possession, found Bonifazi with a crisp pass and she did the rest, unleashing a high-arcing shot in what would be the game-winning goal. The Golden Eagles dominated the ball in long stretches and took advantage offensively enough times to claim the win Thursday.

    In a game between two familiar programs, the teams played each other in both the regular season and playoffs last year, both Mountain Vista victories, the Golden Eagles’ chemistry and talent was too much for upset minded Fort Collins (0-2) to overcome.

    “I think the thing we did best was keep the ball,” coach Theresa Echtermeyer said about the victory. “We had the majority of the possession the majority of the game, especially in the first half. I think we did a good job playing balls through seams when they gave them to us. I think they were probably stronger than us out of the air, so that’s something we’re going to work on, but it was a really good team win.

    Mountain Vista, the returning state champions and the No. 1 ranked team in this week’s 5A girls soccer rankings, has been known as a powerhouse program built upon a smothering defense. No. 10 Fort Collins got very few clean looks at the goal and the defense was mostly strong, especially in the first half, but Echtermeyer said her team is built a little differently than in years past.

    “I think actually our strength this year is probably on the attack, which is unusual for us,” Echtermeyer said. “I think our defense will continue to get better as the season goes along.

    “I have fewer returning starters on this team than I’ve ever had. I think you’ll see us have more synergy defensively as the season goes along.”

    Mountain Vista held a 1-0 lead going into the half, a margin that didn’t feel as close as the score indicated. Fort Collins did expose some holes in the young Golden Eagles defense after halftime though as Nicole Dietrich, Jordan Falsetto, and Payton Humpal attacked aggressively and got a few looks at goal. Mountain Vista tightened up late defensively and sealed the win on a Kelsey Luke score with three minutes remaining.

    Luke, a senior midfielder/forward and University of Albany recruit, beat the defense with speed on a through ball and slipped a goal past Fort Collins goalkeeper Catherine Ameson.

    Luke and Bonifazi helped overcome the loss of midfielder Brooke Blasi, a University of Montana signee, who suffered a season-ending knee injury earlier this year. Several other key players were also missing in action due to the district’s spring break this week.

    “In all sports you have adversity and you have to see what your team’s willing to do when they have that kind of adversity. It was a great team win,” Echtermeyer reiterated.

    The culture, chemistry, and talent in the Mountain Vista girls soccer program was evident Thursday night in a solid win over a worthy opponent in Fort Collins. They’ll be back in action Saturday when they host Arapahoe High School at Shea Stadium.

  • Columbine joins 5A girls soccer poll at No. 9

    Holy Family Centaurus girls soccer
    Holy Family remained the No. 1 team in this week’s 3A girls soccer ranking. (Pam Wagner)

    Columbine, off to a 6-1-0 start, has joined this week’s Class 5A girls soccer ranking.

    The Rebels were 2-0-0 last week with wins over Liberty and Dakota Ridge. They are No. 9 in CHSAANow.com’s poll this week.

    Elsewhere, the 4A poll added Windsor (No. 10), and 3A added Faith Christian (No. 6).

    The three No. 1 teams stayed the same this week. Those are Mountain Vista (5A), Cheyenne Mountain (4A) and Colorado Academy (3A).

    The next new rankings will be out on April 7, due to the relatively light in-state schedule caused by spring break.

    Complete polls for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Girls Soccer Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Mountain Vista (12) 3-0-0 128 1 2-0-0
    2 Rock Canyon 4-0-0 106 2 2-0-0
    3 Pine Creek (1) 4-0-0 96 3 1-0-0
    4 Legacy 3-0-0 69 5 0-0-0
    5 Cherry Creek 3-1-0 65 6 1-0-0
    6 Fossil Ridge 2-0-1 64 4 0-0-0
    7 Fairview 2-1-0 30 7 0-0-0
    8 Ralston Valley 5-0-0 28 10 2-0-0
    9 Columbine 6-1-0 22 – 2-0-0
    10 Fort Collins 0-0-0 20 8 0-0-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Castle View 18, Eaglecrest 18, Arvada West 10, Boulder 9, Grandview 8, Standley Lake 8, Heritage 7, Smoky Hill 4, Chatfield 3, Mountain Range 3.
    Dropped out
    Boulder (9).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Cheyenne Mountain (7) 3-0-1 88 1 1-0-0
    2 Valor Christian (2) 4-0-0 67 2 1-0-0
    3 Broomfield 1-1-1 59 3 0-0-0
    4 Lewis-Palmer 2-0-2 46 4 0-0-0
    5 Sand Creek 3-0-0 40 8 1-0-0
    6 Battle Mountain 5-0-0 37 9 1-0-0
    7 Evergreen 3-1-1 26 6 1-0-0
    8 Palmer Ridge 1-2-0 26 7 0-1-0
    9 Green Mountain 4-1-0 21 5 2-0-0
    10 Windsor 5-0-0 21 – 2-0-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Englewood 13, Palisade 13, Air Academy 12, Centaurus 11, Longmont 11, Falcon 9, Silver Creek 9, Skyview 8, Pueblo Centennial 7, Ponderosa 6, Mead 5, Wheat Ridge 5, Niwot 4, Mullen 3, Steamboat Springs 2, Pueblo Central 1.
    Dropped out
    Wheat Ridge (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Colorado Academy (7) 2-2-0 88 1 1-0-0
    2 Holy Family (1) 1-0-1 66 4 1-0-1
    3 Kent Denver 1-2-0 65 2 0-0-0
    4 St. Mary’s 2-1-0 52 3 1-1-0
    5 The Classical Academy 1-4-0 39 5 1-1-0
    6 Faith Christian 2-1-0 29 – 2-1-0
    7 Coal Ridge 5-0-0 27 6 3-0-0
    8 Frontier Academy 1-0-1 22 7 1-0-0
    9 Manitou Springs 3-2-0 19 9 1-1-0
    10 Fountain Valley 3-0-0 17 10 0-0-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Liberty Common 16, The Academy 16, Peak to Peak 15, Bayfield 7, Jefferson Academy 4, Roaring Fork 4, Evangelical Christian 3, Telluride 3, Aspen 1, Grand Valley 1, St. Mary’s Academy 1.
    Dropped out
    Peak to Peak (8).

  • No. 9 Manitou Springs girls soccer knocks off No. 3 St. Mary’s in 3A

    (Frank McKiel)
    (Frank McKiel)

    MANITOU SPRINGS — When Manitou Springs midfielder Kaity Vogel lines up to take a penalty kick, she becomes a creature of habit. Prior to taking her shot, she takes aim the back-left corner of the goal, which is exactly how she gave the Mustangs a 1-0 lead over St. Mary’s.

    The score would hold up and Vogel, a sophomore, gave her senior teammates something they had yet to experience in their time with the Mustangs, a win over the rival Pirates.

    (Frank McKiel)
    (Frank McKiel)

    The cross-town rivals battled through a scoreless first half that saw St. Mary’s get several chances to get the ball into the net. Forward Emily Loof had the best chance for the Pirates as she gained possession of the ball in front of the net off a corner kick. Her shot attempt couldn’t clear traffic in front of the Manitou goal and was eventually cleared.

    In the second half, the Mustangs grew tired of allowing the Pirates to control the ball and took the attack, which helped lead to a much-needed win. The Mustangs were the victims of a 6-0 beat down at the hands of Holy Family on Wednesday and they knew that a win before a week off during spring break could drastically change the outlook on their season.

    “I was telling (St. Mary’s coach) Greg (Braha) that I think we needed this more than they did and that they’re going to be fine,” Manitou coach Mike Fox. “This is great momentum for us after struggling a little bit early.”

    The see-saw battle prevented either team from taking a clear advantage through most of the contest. A break finally came with 19:56 remaining in the game when Vogel was fouled within the goal box, allowing the Mustangs to take the penalty shot, which led to the only goal scored in the game and the biggest win of the Mustangs’ young season.

    “I think we finally worked together,” Vogel said. “Holy Family was a really good game for us to learn from and we just came out as a team and really wanted it. They’re our rivals. It felt amazing.”

    The loss for the Pirates is the first on the year. Through the first two games of their season they had been outscoring their opponents 20-0. Braha said that Manitou was a tough team to face, but the Pirates were without five players for various reasons which saw them bring only nine varsity players to the game.

    (Frank McKiel)
    (Frank McKiel)

    “It’s all a process for us. We’ve played a league game very early but you want your non-league opponents to get you ready for your league and your league opponents to help you build for the playoffs,” Braha said. “In our case, we use our non-league opponents to help us get ready for state playoffs and you want to play these tough teams.”

    The Pirates came into the season as one of the favorites to contend for a state title, but in their desire to succeed down the stretch, they have to go through a schedule that will force them to overcome adversity.

    “They felt like their backs were against the wall, I think we haven’t been stressed yet,” Braha said. “Our team doesn’t know what it feels like to be in this kind of game yet, but now they do.”

    Both teams will return to action Apr. 1 when each school returns from their spring break vacation.

  • Mullen girls soccer weathers second-half surge by Wheat Ridge

    Wheat Ridge senior Shelly Browne (12) gets her foot on the ball in front of Mullen junior Penelope Arnold (10) during the first half Thursday at Lakewood Memorial Field. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Wheat Ridge senior Shelly Browne (12) gets her foot on the ball in front of Mullen junior Penelope Arnold (10) during the first half Thursday at Lakewood Memorial Field. (Dennis Pleuss)

    LAKEWOOD — The final score didn’t tell the story Thursday night at Lakewood Memorial Field.

    Mullen took a 4-1 victory over Wheat Ridge in girls’ soccer action, but the Mustangs (3-3) had to withstand a stretch of 25 minutes in the second half where the Farmers put constant pressure near Mullen’s net.

    “Wheat Ridge is a good team,” Mullen’s first-year coach Mark Dougerty said. “They put us under pressure scoring in the first couple minutes of the second half, but I’m proud of my girls. They weathered the storm.”

    Wheat Ridge freshman Alexandra Nillen (9) take a corner kick during the second half Thursday night. Nillen had a corner kick set up the Farmers' lone goal in a 4-1 loss to Mullen. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Wheat Ridge freshman Alexandra Nillen (9) take a corner kick during the second half Thursday night. Nillen had a corner kick set up the Farmers’ lone goal in a 4-1 loss to Mullen. (Dennis Pleuss)

    Mullen held a 2-0 lead at halftime with goals by freshman Caleigh Michael and senior Regan Weber off corner kicks. Weber was able to bend her corner kick into the goal in the 36th minute to give the Mustangs’ a two-goal lead.

    The only bad news for Weber was she turned an ankle and didn’t play much after halftime.

    “The poor girl has had some unfortunate luck this season,” Dougerty said of Weber. “She is a key player for us. In the short amount of time she was out there you could see what she adds.”

    Wheat Ridge (3-2) quickly answered in the second half with its own goal off a corner kick. Senior Carlee Flanagan headed in a centering pass from freshman Alexandra Nillen into the back of the net to cut the Mustangs’ lead to 2-1 three minutes into the second half.

    Flanagan’s goal energized the Farmers. Wheat Ridge spent the next 25 minutes of play nearly entirely in Mullen’s defensive zone looking for the equalizer.

    “We felt like we could get one (goal), control possession and shift the momentum. We did that the first 25 minutes or so,” Wheat Ridge coach Dan Watkins said. “They weren’t clean looks or clean opportunities, but we were putting the pressure on.”

    Mullen was finally able to generate its own scoring chance in the 69th minute. The Mustangs worked the ball in front of Wheat Ridge’s goal and junior Natalie DeBartolomieis powered home Mullen’s third goal to regain the two-goal cushion.

    “I was just really relived,” DeBartolomieis said. “I knew that once we got the third goal we would have everything under our belts. We just had to focus on defending at that point.”

    A minute later the Mustangs took a 4-1 lead. Sophomore Megan Delmonico buried a penalty kick past Wheat Ridge freshman goalie Abby Bausch.

    Mullen junior Penelope Arnold (10) tracks down a ball during the opening half Thursday night at Lakewood Memorial Field. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Mullen junior Penelope Arnold (10) tracks down a ball during the opening half Thursday night at Lakewood Memorial Field. (Dennis Pleuss)

    “We had such great momentum. I think after Mullen scored again it kind of brought us down,” Flanagan said of the Mustangs’ third goal. “We had the possession. It was just really frustrating. It was unlucky.”

    Mullen junior Alexis Glogiewicz picked up the victory in net for the Mustangs. It was the second victory this week for Mullen after suffering back-to-back losses to Regis Jesuit and Castle View last week.

    “I think we’ve built a lot of confidence,” DeBartolomieis said. “We are really looking forward to the rest of our season.”

    Mullen won’t get back on the field until after spring break. The Mustangs next game is scheduled for April 4 when it travels to face Battle Mountain.

    Wheat Ridge will also have its spring break next week. The Farmers return to action against Class 4A Jeffco League rival Green Mountain on April 2 at Lakewood Memorial Field.

    “Every one of these girls wants it,” Flanagan said. “We’ll work really hard over (spring) break to go hard against Green Mountain.”

    Mullen sophomore Olivia Szeliga (8) tries to clear the ball out of the Mustangs' defensive zone as Wheat Ridge sophomore Nikki Strickler closes in Thursday night at Lakewood Memorial Field. Mullen took a 4-1 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Mullen sophomore Olivia Szeliga (8) tries to clear the ball out of the Mustangs’ defensive zone as Wheat Ridge sophomore Nikki Strickler closes in Thursday night at Lakewood Memorial Field. Mullen took a 4-1 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)

  • Photos: Holy Family, Centaurus play to scoreless tie in girls soccer

    BROOMFIELD — Holy Family, No. 4 in 3A, tied 4A Centaurus in girls soccer on Thursday, 0-0.