Liberty Common goalkeeper Michael Bradley, right, has registered four shutouts in the postseason to help the Eagles return to the Class 3A state championship game. Four state title games will be played during the next two days.
File photo by Chris Fehrm
Given the strength of its league schedule, the RPI rankings have never been too kind to the defending Class 3A state champions. A year ago, despite being undefeated, the Eagles were the No. 8 seed. Liberty Common defeated Jefferson Academy and Colorado Springs Christian, waited through a semifinal game between Kent Denver and Colorado Academy to learn its championship opponent, then went out and captured the school's first state title.
After waiting out another semifinal between Metro League rivals
Kent Denver (Englewood) and
Colorado Academy (Denver), the Eagles get their shot at a second consecutive state crown when they take on No. 2 Kent Denver at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
"Our motto was, ‘It doesn't matter if we're the (No.) 1 seed or the 9 seed,'" Liberty Common coach Cyrus Salehi said. "We're just going to take care of business."
Liberty Common (16-3) and Roaring Fork played to a scoreless tie through 110 minutes of regulation and two overtimes at Englewood High School. In the shootout, after Roaring Fork scored first, Eagles goalkeeper
Michael Bradley turned away four consecutive shots.
Elliot McCormick and
Michael Yeh scored to keep Liberty Common's repeat hopes alive.
"It just felt amazing. I don't know how it happened," Bradley said. "I was praying throughout. It just feels amazing to win it for my team like that."
Bradley has notched 13 shutouts in net for Liberty Common this fall, including four consecutive games in the postseason. Seniors
Evan Walter, Yeh and
Zach Harker have combined to score 43 of the team's 90 goals.
With 13 seniors on the roster, this is the team's chance to really leave a lasting mark on the program.
"We're looking to repeat and end on a good note for all these seniors," Bradley said.
Kent Denver (18-0-1) is looking for its fourth title in five years after falling short to Colorado Academy in the semis last November. The Sun Devils gained a measure of revenge Wednesday, scoring three goals in less than five minutes early in the second half to come away with the 3-0 victory.
After Liberty Common's victory over Roaring Fork, Salehi talked about preparing for a battle no matter who won the second semifinal game.
"It's pick your poison," Salehi said. "They're both fantastic teams, they're both super well-coached. We will have our hands full."
Class 5A
No. 8 Arapahoe (Centennial) (16-1-2) vs. No. 3 Grandview (Aurora) (17-1-1), 6 p.m. Friday, Dick's Sporting Goods ParkThe run of four championship games in two days at DSG gets started at 6 p.m. tonight when Centennial League foes Arapahoe and Grandview square off for the 5A state championship.
Cameron Gail (7), Arapahoe.
File photo by Jeffrey Tucker
Both teams topped Front Range League powers in the semifinals to make it to final game. Arapahoe defeated
Broomfield 4-3 in a shootout, ending a run of four consecutive championship appearances for the Eagles. Arapahoe will be playing for its first championship since 1997. Grandview downed
Boulder 2-0 behind goals from
Jaime Luna and
Peter Goldy to make its first title game since 2007.
The two teams met back on Sept. 25, with Arapahoe emerging with the 3-2 victory.
Adam Hangland scored two goals for the Warriors that day.
The eighth-seeded Warriors knocked out three Front Range League teams in the playoffs, including top-seeded Fairview in the quarterfinals. Senior
Cameron Gail has 20 goals on the season to lead Arapahoe, and senior
Zach Westerman owns six goals and 11 assists. Senior
Spencer Cobb has allowed only seven goals all year.
No. 3 Grandview needed a shootout to get past Cherokee Trail in the quarterfinals before downing Boulder. Luna has a team-high 12 goals and
Noe Ortiz Pena has 10 goals and seven assists to his credit.
Cobi Wood bounced back from a tough game against the Cougars, making four saves in the shutout of Boulder.
Class 4A
No. 1 Air Academy (17-1-1) vs. No. 3 Denver North (16-1-2), 11 a.m. Saturday, Dick's Sporting Goods Park
Bryan Torres, Denver North.
File photo by Jeffrey Tucker
The 4A championship game matches up two teams with very different playoff resumes.
Top-seeded Air Academy has won three state championships in the past eight years, including the program's fourth overall last November. Denver North has never played for a state title, just missing out on the semifinals a year ago.
The title contest will pit the high-scoring offense of Air Academy, which scored 74 goals this season, 16 of which have come through four playoff games, against a Denver North team that has allowed only six goals in 19 games.
Jonathan Gonzalez scored the game's only goal Wednesday night in the Vikings' 1-0 victory over
The Classical Academy (Colorado Springs), and
Bryan Torres made five saves.
Torres has allowed five goals in more than 1,300 minutes of action this fall, recording 13 shutouts. Sophomore
Elliot Nottoli has a team-high nine goals, but 14 players have scored at least one goal.
Thaddaeus Dewing scored a pair of goals in Air Academy's 3-1 victory over No. 20
Glenwood Springs in the semifinals. Dewing has 26 goals this fall and junior
Adin Schwenke has 11.
Class 2A
No. 1 Crested Butte (14-1-2) vs. No. 6 Telluride (12-5-1), 4 p.m. Saturday, Dick's Sporting Goods ParkThe inaugural 2A championship game will be played between two teams which missed out on the postseason a year ago.
The top-seeded Titans last made the playoffs in 2016, but have enjoyed a strong first season in 2A. The team's only loss came to 3A Salida, and Crested Butte defeated Telluride twice during the regular season. The most recent victory was Oct. 20, a 3-1 triumph in Telluride.
The Miners missed out on the postseason in each of the previous two seasons, but consecutive overtime victories over Dawson School and Fountain Valley have Telluride playing for its first title.
