The Colorado Springs metro area is at the center of the Class 4A girls soccer universe this season. Five area teams are ranked in the top 10, including defending champion Air Academy, with standout Brooke Baden (16).
File photo by Ray Chen
The theme is dominant, like orange sportswear at Sports Authority Field or mullet haircuts at 80's-band reunion concerts.
One look at the Class 4A girls soccer rankings and it's plenty apparent: Colorado Springs is ramping up its profile as one of the state's primary hotbeds for the sport.
A whopping five Springs-based teams are among the Top 10 this week — yes, half — as the area continues to produce some of the state's finest squads and individual players.
"There's been a good shift down here with kids making an impact on the soccer field and going forward,"
Air Academy (US Air Force Academy) 10th-year coach Nancy Sibley said.
These teams, including Sibley's defending 4A champion Kadets, are losing some games, yes. But it's usually to one another.
Here's a peek at the surging squads from in and around Colorado Springs, while keeping in mind that being ranked is no guarantee to qualify for the postseason, partly because of the newly formed Pikes Peak League.
Sand Creek (Colorado Springs) vaulted to No. 1 in the rankings this week by virtue of last week's 3-1 win against then-No. 1 Air Academy. The Scorpions then lost 3-1 on Tuesday to No. 4
Palmer Ridge (Monument) in a shining example of the rugged new league.
"The eight teams that went to this league are all the best soccer teams," Sand Creek coach Craig Decker said. "We're ranked No. 1 in the state, yet we're not assured a playoff spot yet. We're in the middle of a stretch in which we play four games against top 10 teams."
These teams formerly resided in the not-so-top-heavy Colorado Springs Metro League. The new league is a Catch-22 in a few ways. For one, competition always will be fierce, but overall records will not be as glitzy with teams beating up on each other.
Most notably, only three playoff spots are guaranteed from the league, With five ranked teams, one can see where this creates an issue. Yes, at-large bids are available, but girls soccer coaches are looking at the boys season in the fall as a blueprint (the boys also adopted the new league).
The league received one at-large bid (four total playoff spots). That meant fifth-place Lewis-Palmer, a perennial contender, was left out.
Sand Creek (7-1-1) also is playing through its tough stretch without captain
Christina Tafoya (concussion). The Scorpions are led by the talents of senior
Amanda Gagnon (13 goals, four assists).
Air Academy (6-2-1), which fell to No. 6 in the rankings this week, has received five goals apiece from seniors
Caren Nelson and
Brooke Braden. Having coached soccer in the area for more than a decade, Sibley has enjoyed seeing the increased competition.
"Part of it is, I have to give homage to the club teams," Sibley said. "They train them year-round. But also give credit to the high school coaches who are trying to play good soccer and develop these kids."
Two primary club teams are home to many of the Springs' premier players. Pride Soccer Club won the state cup in three divisions (birth years 1996, '98 and '99), and the Pikes Peak Rush also has been vastly successful.
Depending on who you talk to, the local club scene is either A) vicious or B) not too bad as far as discouraging players to also compete for their high school teams. Coaches are just thankful it's not like the boys side, where the academy requires players to sign contracts that restrict them from competing for their varsity teams.
Also thriving is No. 2
Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) (6-1-1), which might inherit the No. 1 spot after Sand Creek's loss. Indians sophomore
Hannah Gerdin has produced a team-best eight goals and sophomore goalie
Hunter Peifer has recorded six shutouts.
Palmer Ridge and Lewis-Palmer, neighbors that now share a player base in the Monument area, have managed to thrive as independent groups. The fourth-ranked Bears (6-1-1) are led by sophomore
Mackenzie Gouner (nine goals, two assists) and senior
Taylor Schnorr (five and three).
Lewis-Palmer (Monument) (7-4), ranked 10th, is hoping to avoid the playoff fate of its boys squad. The Rangers are led by senior
Lindsey Ryals' nine goals and five assists.
Although they haven't cracked the rankings, the
Discovery Canyon (Colorado Springs) Thunder (7-2-2) also are a key player and could end up in the upper half of the league standings, giving the Colorado Springs area six teams to keep an eye on. In a league replete with talented sophomores, DC's
Jamie Keith (12 goals, nine assists) is one of the best.
"Colorado Springs is just a real big soccer community, especially on the girls side," Sand Creek's Decker said. "You get better when you play with better players, and a lot of these girls play together."
