Colorado girls soccer postseason gets rolling in just one week

What makes a player a worthy Player of the Year candidate isn't always as clear-cut as the numbers would indicate.

Sometimes statistics do play a big part. A year ago, Alex Loera of The Academy (Westminster) shared the state lead with 42 goals, and the senior helped lead the Wildcats to their first Class 3A state girls soccer championship. But the success of Loera, who was the 3A POY, and the Wildcats also hinged upon her leadership on the field and how she elevated the game of her teammates.

Three of the four Player of the Year honorees last spring helped lead their team to a state title. While Loera was a goal-scoring machine, Denver Christian's Miranda Kortenhoeven (18 goals, 18 assists) was the 2A POY despite not leading her own team in goals scored. But the Thunder junior's 18 assists were a big part of the team's success.

Haley Schueppert and Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch) took the 5A crown. Schueppert's importance wasn't represented by stats, but the midfielder was an integral part of her team's championship. Evergreen's Sofia Weiner was the 4A MVP despite the fact that the Cougars finished second to D'Evelyn in the title game.

So, as the 2018 regular season winds down – Class 5A and 2A open the state playoffs one week from today, with 4A and 3A going May 9 – a number of players are making their own POY case. Here is a look at some of those players – and teams – who could make May runs to the state title game:

Class 5A
• Hailey Stodden, Broomfield: Goals don't come easy in 5A, so the fact that the senior has found the back of the net 23 times for the unbeaten Eagles (11-0-1) is impressive. Sophomore Mallory Mooney has added 14 goals of her own. Broomfield handed No. 5 Rocky Mountain (Fort Collins) its only loss of the season April 26, but the Eagles have another tall order ahead May 3 against No. 8 Legacy (Broomfield).
• Gracie Armstrong, Legacy: Speaking of the Lightning, Armstrong, a senior, has helped the Lightning (10-2) climb into the top 10. Armstrong has 15 goals and eight assists headed into a tough close to the season with Rocky Mountain and Broomfield. The Lightning holds a victory over No. 3 Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch) this season.
• Kenna Caldwell, Rock Canyon: The Jaguars (11-2) are closing in on the 5A/4A Continental League crown, but still have to get past Regis Jesuit (Aurora) and Chaparral (Parker). Rock Canyon only has 18 goals on the season, but the team has given up just four. Caldwell has allowed just two of those in 750 minutes of play, making 29 saves and posting seven shutouts.
• Madeline Samuelson, Columbine (Littleton): Keeping the goalkeeper trend going, Columbine (12-2) has its own stalwart in net in Samuelson. The senior has allowed only five goals in more than 1,000 minutes of play, recording 43 saves and nine shutouts. The Rebels, who have clinched the 5A Jeffco crown, close out the season against top-ranked Grandview (Aurora) (11-0-2) on Wednesday.
• Grandview's defense: While an entire unit can't capture POY honors, Grandview's defense deserves recognition. The Wolves have allowed only four goals so far this season, backed by keepers Madison Livingston and Reagan Mccombs. Senior Natalie Beckman and junior Kendra Gipson have 10 goals each.

Class 4A
• Chaynee Kingsbury and Abby Gearhart, Windsor: The Wizards reached the state semifinals as the No. 6 seed a year ago before falling just short against Evergreen. Windsor may just be the team to beat this spring though, as the Wizards are unbeaten at 13-0-1 headed into their finale Wednesday.
Kingsbury, a senior, has 28 goals and 21 assists, while junior Gearhart (27 goals, 16 assists) have driven a Windsor offense that averages nearly seven goals a game. Kingsbury is tied for the state lead in points with 77, and Gearhart is fourth with 70. That's a tough tandem to stop headed into state.
• Sydney Lasater, Sand Creek (Colorado Springs): Sand Creek's 11 victories mark the program's most in one season since 2014, and the Scorpions aren't finished yet. Sand Creek visits Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) on Wednesday to decide the 5A/4A Pikes Peak League title, giving Lasater, a freshman, another chance to shine. Lasater is tied for the state lead with 32 goals and tied with Kingsbury for the state lead with 77 points. Three other Scorpions have scored at least 10 goals as well.
• Kaeyla Noble, Silver Creek (Longmont): The other unbeaten team in 4A is Silver Creek, which has gotten the job done with defense. Noble, the team's senior goalkeeper, has allowed only five goals this season. Two of those goals came in a 2-2 tie with top-ranked Windsor, and 10 of the team's 12 victories have come via shutout.
• Jazlynn Ellis, Ponderosa (Parker): The Mustangs are ranked second in 4A and are doing it while competing in the challenging 5A/4A Continental League. Ellis has scored 21 of the team's 45 goals, and senior Jensen Ellis has 15 assists. Freshman Morgan Palermo has allowed only 11 goals in 14 games, recording eight shutouts along the way.
• Pueblo's best: There has been some high-scoring soccer coming out of the South Central League, as six players have at least 19 goals. Pueblo Centennial (12-1), which can clinch the SCL title with a victory over Pueblo West on Tuesday, has a pair of talented freshmen in Allie Jones (25 goals, 17 assists) and Lainee Vujcich (23/10). Junior Kinley Carter has 19 goals and 14 assists, and junior Fernanda Rios leads the team with 19 assists in addition to 12 goals.
Pueblo County's Melina Faris (28 goals, 18 assists) and Kaitlin Hinkle (29/10) have the Hornets sitting at 11 victories.

Class 3A
• Mandy Stricker, The Academy: The defending state champion Wildcats have always put up goals in bunches. What sets Stricker apart this season is the fact that in addition to having 12 goals, the senior leads the state with 26 assists. The Academy (11-1) dropped its only game this season in overtime to No. 3 Jefferson Academy (Broomfield).
• Rachel Schlagel, Jefferson Academy: Four of the current top five teams in 3A reside in the Metro League, which means every game is a battle. Jefferson Academy (12-2-1) has held its own during that gauntlet. Schlagel, a senior, is tied for the team lead with 11 goals but leads the squad with an impressive 12 assists. Sophomore Brooklynn Kirkpatrick has allowed only seven goals this season.
• Anna Ponzio, Colorado Academy (Denver): The second-ranked Mustangs (11-2) dropped their only league game to No. 1 Kent Denver on April 12. Ponzio, a senior, has scored 15 goals to go along with six assists.
• Kait Halverson, Colorado Springs Christian (Colorado Springs): The sixth-ranked Lions are 3A's only undefeated team at 12-0 going into Thursday's top-10 game against No. 10 Manitou Springs. Halverson has scored 28 of her team's 52 goals on the year, good for second-best in the 3A ranks.
• Brooklyn Mack and Bridget Bodor, Manitou Springs: Headed into the showdown with CSCS, Manitou Springs has ridden the offensive punch from the senior Mack (25 goals, seven assists) and Bodor, a junior, (18/12). Junior Caileen Sienchnect leads Manitou Springs (11-2) with 14 assists. The Mustangs have allowed only four goals.
• Kent Denver (Englewood) defense: Like Grandview, the Sun Devils are getting the job done with a balanced offense and strong defense. Kent Denver has allowed only four goals, with sophomore Mika Fisher shutting out Colorado Academy and Jefferson Academy earlier this month. Sophomore Annabelle Johnson and senior Emma Billings have combined to score 22 goals.
• Liberty Common's three-headed machine: Liberty Common (Fort Collins) proved its soccer programs can compete with the best of them after winning the 3A boys state title in the fall. The girls team is 11-1, with the only loss a 1-0 setback to Jefferson Academy on April 27. The trio of Samantha Tsiouvaras (19 goals, 12 assists), Eve Norman (13/15) and Lauren Gamlin (16/11) have the Eagles thinking big again.

Class 2A
• Degen Miller, Dawson School (Lafayette): Dawson School graduated all-state talent Hannah Isenhart, who was a scoring-machine for the Mustangs. But Dawson hasn't let up, scoring 75 goals while going 12-0. Only a freshman, Miller has taken over for Isenhart with 25 goals and seven assists this spring in only eight games. Senior Liv Cramer has 13 goals and 11 assists.
• Kara Amidon and Miranda Kortenhoeven, Denver Christian: The defending state champion Thunder is 9-4 overall, but three of those losses came to 3A ranked teams and the fourth was to 2A No. 1 Dawson School. Kortenhoeven, the reigning 2A POY, has 15 goals and 12 assists. Amidon, a sophomore, leads the squad with 17 goals and has added 10 assists.
• Samantha O'Brien, Clear Creek (Evergreen): The Golddiggers have had their struggles, but O'Brien has enjoyed a great senior season. O'Brien shares the state lead with 32 goals, nearly ¾ of the team's offensive output.
• Ani Love, Fountain Valley (Colorado Springs): A year after McKenna Monk shared the state lead with 42 goals, Fountain Valley has turned to others to shoulder the load. The Danes (10-2) are paced by Love, who has 20 goals and six assists in 11 games in her junior season.