Sophomore Kaleigh Kreimeyer (2) has scored five goals in the playoffs for Valor Christian. The second-seeded Eagles take on No. 1 Windsor in the Class 4A state girls soccer championship Wednesday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
File photo by Paul DiSalvo
If only the seeding was used as criteria for deciding which teams play for a state championship, then the Class 4A state girls soccer tournament has gone according to plan.
But even as top-seeded
Windsor prepares to face No. 2
Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, there is always more to the story than the number in front of the team. The Wizards (18-0-1) are playing at DSG for the first time after being eliminated in the semifinals in each of the three previous seasons. Valor Christian (12-3-3) lost 15 players from last year's squad that fell in the semifinals.
Windsor coach Mario Garcia said it's an opportunity for redemption for both teams. Valor Christian coach Brian Shultz understands what his coaching counterpart means, and knows the Eagles have a tall task ahead of them.
"We have high respect for what (Mario's) done at Windsor," Shultz said. "I know they're hungry for a title, and we're just honored to play against a team like that. We'll give it our best on Wednesday."
After the 4A game on Wednesday, 5A closes the season out with a battle between No. 1
Grandview (Aurora) and No. 2
Broomfield – once again, the two squads that came up short in the 2017 semifinals.
Perhaps none of the eight remaining programs has overcome the obstacles that faced Valor Christian at the start of the season. The Eagles graduated nine seniors from last year's squad, and seven of those were committed to play in college. The team also lost six more players to the inaugural season of the U.S. Soccer Girls Development Academy; a number of athletes had to decide between playing for their club or their high school.
"I think it means a lot to these girls. They've put it all on the line," Shultz said after Valor Christian held off
Glenwood Springs 2-1 in the semis on Saturday at Legacy Stadium in Aurora. "With those 15 gone, the next group just stepped right in and I think they're operating out of a long tradition of Valor teams that are just hard workers."
Valor Christian scored 70 goals in 2017, and of those, only one player who scored –
Kaitlynn Derani – returned to the team. The Eagles have scored only 35 times this spring, but a strong defense, backed by all three of the team's returning goalkeepers from last spring, has allowed only 18 scores.
"We're not a very flashy team, but we're very gritty," Shultz said. "Most of our goals have come that way this year."
Case in point: Sophomore
Kaleigh Kreimeyer, who scored only two goals during the regular season, has found the back of the net on five occasions in the playoffs. That included the first one Saturday.
"Those goals are team goals. There's a lot of build-up that goes into those goals, but she's figuring it out," Shultz said. "She's a crafty forward and a great athlete, and she's a gamer. When things are on the line, she's been coming up big."
Senior
Alexandra Daws, who is tied with Kreimeyer for second on the team with seven goals scored, stepped into the starting keeper role in May because of an injury to
Mackenzie Egan. Daws has allowed only three goals in five games, just two of which have come in the postseason.
Windsor, on the other hand, has outscored opponents 114-10 through 19 games. The team's only blemish this season came in a 2-2 tie with Silver Creek (Longmont) on March 20 – on Saturday, the Wizards defeated those same Raptors 2-1 to reach the title game.
Senior
Chaynee Kingsbury leads Windsor with 32 goals and 25 assists and junior
Abby Gearhart has added 31 goals and 16 assists. Senior keeper
Michaela Moran has allowed only five goals in nearly 1,100 minutes in the net.
While Valor Christian has the experience factor as a program in playing for state titles – the Eagles are making their fifth appearance in 10 years, the most recent coming in 2016 – Shultz is quick to point out that doesn't amount to much with so many new faces.
"Every team's journey is different. This year's team just keeps wowing us," Shultz said. "I'll tell them to go and do what they've done all year. They keep finding a way, let's find another way."
Here is an overview of the other three state championship games headed into Tuesday's title contests:
Class 5A
No. 1 Grandview (16-0-3) vs. No. 2 Broomfield (18-0-1), 7 p.m., WednesdayThis is a rematch of the 2015 championship game, won by Grandview. The Wolves followed that up with a championship in 2016 before losing in a shootout to Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch) in the 2017 semifinals.
Grandview avenged that loss with a 4-2 victory against the Golden Eagles in the semifinals Saturday. Seniors
Natalie Beckman and
Morgan Szarka, who have signed to play Division I soccer next season, have combined to score 22 goals, and junior
Kendra Gipson has 12. Keepers
Madison Livingston and
Reagan Mccombs have combined to allow only eight goals this spring.
Broomfield is making its fourth finals appearance in six years, though two of those came in 4A. The Eagles haven't won a state championship since 2006.
After rallying to force overtime in a victory against Columbine (Littleton) in the quarterfinals, Broomfield came from behind again Saturday with a 3-2 overtime victory over Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch) in the semis. Senior
Hailey Stodden scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner on a penalty kick in OT.
Stodden – a University of Utah commit – leads the team with 32 goals and has 10 assists. Sophomore
Mallory Mooney has 15 goals and a team-high 12 assists. Senior keeper
Grace Fuller has allowed nine goals in 18 games.
No. 1 Jefferson Academy (15-2-1) vs. No. 3 Kent Denver (16-1-1), 7 p.m., TuesdayLast spring marked the first time that a team from the 3A Metro League didn't claim the state championship after The Academy defeated Peak to Peak (Lafayette) in a shootout.
Rachel Schlagel (5), Jefferson Academy.
File photo by Derek Regensburger
That won't be the case this season. The Jaguars and Sun Devils will both represent the Metro in a rematch of an April 14 league game, won by Kent Denver 1-0.
Jefferson Academy is making its second title-game appearance in four years after losing to Colorado Academy (Denver) in 2015. The Jaguars received a late goal from
Kristen Capan to defeat Aspen 1-0 in Saturday's semifinals, and sophomore
Brooklynn Kirkpatrick recorded nine saves. Eighteen players have scored for the team this spring, led by senior
Rachel Schlagel's 14 goals and 14 assists. Junior
Mira Houck owns 12 goals, and Kirkpatrick has allowed only eight goals in nearly 1,200 minutes of action.
Kent Denver shared the league title with Colorado Academy but had the tiebreaker by virtue of a victory against the Mustangs during the regular season. The Sun Devils repeated that feat Saturday with a 1-0 semifinal triumph on a goal from
Emma Billings.
This is the second title-game trip in three seasons for Kent Denver, which defeated Colorado Academy for the crown in 2016. The team is riding a streak of 11 consecutive shutouts, and a trio of goalkeepers has allowed only four scores in 18 games – including
Mika Fisher going the distance Saturday.
Class 2A
No. 1 Dawson School (15-2) vs. No. 2 Denver Christian (12-5), 5 p.m., TuesdayThese two teams are the only ones making a repeat appearance in the championship game. Denver Christian defeated the Mustangs 4-3 last May to claim the school's fourth title overall.
There have only been three championship games since 2A got its start in 2015, and Dawson has played in each of them. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, they've come up short in all three contests. The team is hoping to reverse its fortunes Tuesday, backed by an offense that scored 91 goals this spring. Dawson defeated Denver Christian 4-1 during the regular season, and is coming off a 3-0 semifinal rout of Crested Butte on May 16.
Four players have scored at least 11 goals for Dawson, led by freshman
Degen Miller's 25. Senior
Liv Cramer has 16 goals and 12 assists, and junior keeper
Kate Gallop has recorded 11 shutouts.
Four of Denver Christian's five losses came to 3A teams. The Thunder had to hold off Fountain Valley 3-2 in the semifinals, as senior
Miranda Kortenhoeven led the way with a goal and two assists.
Sophomore
Kara Amidon leads the team with 23 goals and has 14 assists to go along with that. Kortenhoeven has added 20 goals and 15 assists.
