KIPP Collegiate turning heads in Colorado boys soccer thanks to strong start

Locked in a 1-1 tie with Jefferson (Edgewater) on Saturday afternoon, the KIPP Denver Collegiate boys soccer team turned the volume up.

The Tigers blitzed the Saints for four goals in the final minutes of the first half on their way to a 5-2 victory. Not only did it keep KIPP undefeated on the season, but the team also moved up to the top spot in the Class 3A state rankings after Kent Denver (Englewood) tied Fountain Valley (Colorado Springs).

For a fifth-year program that has made a first-round exit in the three previous state tournaments, the early portion of the 2015 season has generated quite a buzz around the charter school.

"I feel like we've always tried to put the team out to the rest of the state," KIPP junior Jhovani Gonzalez said. "We feel like we have the players to compete."

Gonzalez notched his second hat trick of the season in the victory against the Saints. The forward currently ranks second in the state with 14 goals, trailing only Pagosa Springs' Berndt James (23). He has been the driving force behind an offense that averages close to five goals a game.

"He's always present. All the time he's asking for the ball," Tigers first-year coach Uli Dahm said. "There's no (time) that he's standing and looking around. This is fantastic if you have a guy like this on the field."

Then there is Dahm, who took over the program from Nick DiBattista this season. Dahm, who is from Germany, changed things up schematically but credited DiBattista for laying the groundwork with the squad.

"He settled everything over here, so actually it was really easy for me to start with the team," Dahm said. "They are prepared for soccer. I brought a new system into the team, and the scheme was easy to understand.

"At the beginning they asked ‘why' and I explained I do have the players for the system. Let's try it, and I will show in practice that it will work.'"

That is has – KIPP has victories against two top-10 teams this season already, including a season-opening triumph over current No. 7 Aurora West. Three days before upending Jefferson, the Tigers took down 2014 state runner-up Colorado Academy (Denver) 3-1.

It was the second year in a row that KIPP scored a victory against the Mustangs.

"It was big," Gonzalez said. "That's the type of games we want to play."

Last fall the Tigers won five of their first six games, but a stretch that saw six losses in seven games brought that momentum to a halt. The squad fell to Denver Christian 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs.

Gonzales led that team with 17 goals, and two more underclassmen – Erik Ramirez and Jesus Granillo – combined for 13 more.

With a roster that has a combined 23 juniors and sophomores, KIPP is building a strong foundation for the future while making a strong push this fall. Granillo has eight goals and five assists on the year, and senior Joe Barrios also has five assists.

Gonzalez said the team has a number of vocal leaders who aren't afraid to talk to the rest of the squad and let them know what they need to do to win.

"Last year we were very young, and I feel like losing in the first round of the playoffs made us stronger," he said. "I feel like all the returning players have the same goals."

While games against Alameda (Lakewood) and Bruce Randolph (Denver) are next on tap for the Tigers, it's difficult for the team not to look a bit down the road. KIPP gets its shot at defending state champion Kent Denver on Oct. 3, and the players are looking forward to that contest for obvious reasons.

Dahm isn't about to get that far ahead, admitting he wasn't even aware what day the team plays the Sun Devils. It's all about the next opponent in what has already become a season to remember.

"They deserve their success," Dahm said.