Redemption awaits with Colorado girls soccer state titles at stake

A little more than a year has gone by since the Lewis-Palmer (Monument) girls soccer team came tantalizingly close to its first state title in nearly two decades.

The Rangers battled Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) through 80 minutes of regulation and a pair of overtime periods in the Class 4A state championship game last May. Left to a shootout to decide the outcome, the Indians edged out Lewis-Palmer by a 6-5 margin to claim their third consecutive title.

The Rangers certainly haven't forgotten what that night felt like, but the good news is that come Wednesday, the program has a second chance. When the 4A title game gets underway at 5 p.m. at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Lewis-Palmer will attempt to hold off Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) and claim its first crown since winning the 3A trophy in 1996.

"They're chomping at the bit. They've been wanting to get back to this game ever since last year's finish," Rangers coach Joe Martin said. "They set this as one of their long-term goals at the beginning of the season. They've been looking forward to this."

Lewis-Palmer is one of two runner-up finishers from 2015 back in a title game. Dawson School (Lafayette) fell to Vail Mountain) in the inaugural Class 2A game a year ago, and will meet the Gore Rangers again Tuesday.

Redemption is also being sought by Kent Denver (Englewood) in 3A after the Sun Devils were upended by Colorado Academy (Denver) in the 2015 semifinals. Those two teams tangle Tuesday night, with Colorado Academy seeking a third consecutive trophy.

In 5A, Grandview (Aurora) is attempting to become the first team to defend its title since Heritage (Littleton) did so back in 1991-92. The Wolves face Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch), which has three state championships since 2005, at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Martin knows his team will have its hands full with Valor Christian, which is making its first appearance in the title game since winning it in 2011. The Eagles made three consecutive appearances in the finals from 2009-11.

"They're an incredible program and being in that final last year gives them immediate experience our girls don't have," Eagles coach Brian Shultz said of Lewis-Palmer. "I think it's about reminding our girls that it's still just a soccer game, and trying to execute on the most fundamental levels is very important.

"I think the other thing Lewis-Palmer has going for them is they got there last year … they're extremely hungry. We're going to challenge our girls to match that hunger, and I think they will. A state championship game doesn't come around very often."

While Valor Christian has outscored its previous two opponents 6-1, the Rangers have gotten the job done with defense. Lewis-Palmer needed overtime to hold off Mullen 1-0 in the semifinals, but the team has yet to allow a goal in four playoff contests. The play of the backline – Karly Sandoval, Kirsten Hatton, Rilee Britton and Sammy Kazlausky – in front of standout goalkeeper Haley Arsenault has been the key to the Rangers giving up only seven goals in 19 games.

"They trust each other, and you can see it in how they communicate to each other and how they're playing," Martin said. "The center-backs have been amazing, coordinating and working with the outside backs. It's a great group, and again, it all starts with trust in each other."

Junior Brianna Alger leads the Rangers in goals (29) and assists (11), and senior Sarah Lyons and junior Annica Fletemeyer have combined for 22 goals and 14 assists.

Valor Christian counters with its own balanced attack, as juniors Camryn Dyke and Brianna Johnson and freshman Cori Dyke have 42 goals between them.

The Eagles avenged back-to-back Jeffco League losses to Evergreen and Wheat Ridge in late April, eliminating both of those squads in the playoffs. Shultz said the setbacks sharpened the program, but a bigger change took place by taking the focus off the Valor teams of the past.

"We saw the talent level on this team and the depth on this team, and this coaching staff immediately thought back to 2011," he said. "I think it kind of paralyzed us and backfired. We kind of recognized that these girls maybe felt the pressure, and kind of changed our tune and started reminding the girls that this is not the 2011 team – this is the 2016 team.

"We really started focusing on this year's team and what we needed to fix and how good we could become."
Here is a quick look at each of the four championship games:


Class 5A
No. 1 Grandview (17-0-1) vs. No. 6 Mountain Vista (15-3-1), 7:30 p.m., Wednesday
It should come as little surprise that the final two teams standing in the 5A ranks are two of the previous three state champions. It's a rematch of a March 17 regular-season game that ended in a scoreless tie, Grandview's only blemish this season.

The Wolves are the defending title-holders in the classification, and have made it look relatively easy at times this season. Grandview has yet to allow a goal in the postseason, winning its first four games by a combined 16-0 margin. The team needed a late goal to defeat Broomfield in the semifinals, with sophomore Morgan Szarka breaking a scoreless tie to send the Wolves back to the title game.

Junior Nicole Lyubenko leads the team with 12 goals, and senior Mandi Duggan has seven goals and a team-high 13 assists to her credit. Sophomore Reagan McCombs has 11 shutouts and a 0.4 goals allowed average in 18 games.

Mountain Vista, the 2013 champion, entered the postseason on a two-game losing streak but has surged back into the championship game. The Golden Eagles are coming off an impressive 4-1 victory 2014 champion Columbine (Littleton), led by two goals from junior Katie Joella and four saves from Kylee Love.
Joella leads the program with 16 goals this season. Love has a 0.9 GAA and nine shutouts.

Class 4A
No. 1 Lewis-Palmer (18-1) vs. No. 7 Valor Christian (16-3), 5 p.m., Wednesday
The Rangers' offensive attack starts with Alger, who has scored in each of the team's four playoff games and 16 of the 18 overall. The team has shut out 11 opponents, and Arsenault has allowed only six goals.

Valor Christian has scored 26 goals during its current eight-game winning streak and six players scored in the team's four postseason games. Sophomore Alexandra Daws has allowed only eight goals this season. Shultz said a lot of the goals scored by the attack can be attributed to the work of the backline creating opportunities up top.

Class 3A

Kent Denver's Sage Digiulio

File photo by Matt Daniels

No. 1 Kent Denver (15-1-1) vs. No. 2 Colorado Academy (14-3), 7:30 p.m., Tuesday
It's been a long road back to the state title game for Kent Denver, which hasn't been there since taking back-to-back 3A crowns in 2006-07.

The Sun Devils emerged at the top of the gauntlet that is Region 6 this season, which included a victory against the Mustangs on April 5 in double overtime. Kent had to get past two league foes in the previous two rounds and did just that, shutting out both Faith Christian (Arvada) and Jefferson Academy (Broomfield).

Junior Sage Digiulio leads the team with 17 goals and nine assists, and junior Shelby Schumacher has gone for 13 goals and 10 assists. Senior Oakley Wurzweiler has a 0.4 GAA and nine shutouts, and made 10 saves in the victory over the Jaguars.

Colorado Academy hasn't allowed a goal in four postseason contests, but the team had to scratch out a semifinal victory over The Academy in a shootout. Sophomore Kyra Kurtz finished with 11 saves in that game and recorded her 13th shutout. Junior Sarah Masinter leads the team with 15 goals and 15 assists.

Class 2A
No. 1 Dawson School (13-2-1) vs. No. 2 Vail Mountain (13-2), 5 p.m., Tuesday
A year ago Vail Mountain made history by claiming the inaugural 2A state championship over Dawson. The Mustangs get their chance at redemption Tuesday night. Now the top overall seed, Dawson defeated Vail Mountain 3-2 a little more than two weeks ago behind three goals from junior sensation Hannah Isenhart.

Isenhart owns 40 goals on the season to go along with 18 assists. Senior Sophie Brussell has added 17 goals and 14 assists for Dawson, which edged Evangelical Christian 2-1 in the semifinals.

Vail Mountain has outscored its two playoff opponents 11-1, including a 5-1 rout of Front Range Christian (Littleton) in the semis. The Gore Rangers have returning 2A Player of the Year Tess Johnson along with a lineup loaded with talented underclassmen.