Grandview won the 5A girls soccer championship on Wednesday. More photos. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
COMMERCE CITY — Grandview girls soccer has stepped into rare air.
The Wolves claimed their second-straight Class 5A girls soccer crown at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park with a 2-1 victory over Mountain Vista. In doing so, they became the first team to repeat in 5A girls soccer since Heritage did it in 1991 and 1992.
Goals by Grandview’s Melanie Jenkins and Mountain Vista’s Haley Schueppert (on a penalty kick) tied the game at one at the break. That’s when Avianne Burris, a junior midfielder, stepped in.
“All season long I’ve talked to them about when I put subs onto the field, your job is to go in and make an impact,” Grandview coach Tari Wood said. “I would say about 70 percent of our goals have been scored within five minutes of a sub coming on. Their legs are fresh.”
Off an assist from Mandi Duggan, Burris’ touch went over the head of Mountain Vista goalkeeper Kylee Love, a game-winner with twenty minutes to go.
“It happened so fast,” Burris said. “I wasn’t thinking about anything. I just shot it. It went in. I’m very blessed.”
And so, Grandview fulfilled lofty expectations after a 2015 season that included not only a state championship, but also a No. 1 national ranking by MaxPreps. They did return four first or second team all-staters — senior Bailey Cook, senior Duggan, junior Nicole Lyubenko and junior Taylor Parker — but had to replace goalie Maddie Lesjak, a first-teamer herself.
But it all came together for the Wolves again, finishing unbeaten at 18-0-1. Their one tie on the road at Mountain Vista was avenged in the state finals.
Grandview mostly dominated a high-level 5A field again in a sport with plenty of Colorado firepower — 69 D-I recruits in the senior class — with a defense that gave up one goal in the past two postseasons.
“That PK is the only goal we’ve given up in the playoffs in two years,” Wood said. “I’ve told these kids forever that defense wins championships. We’re solid offensively, but we’re phenomenal defensively.”
Filling in for graduated Lesjak, sophomore Reagan McCombs not only had a nearly unblemished postseason, but also gave up only seven goals all year.
Grandview is the third team in history to repeat as a champ in the highest classification. Overland did it in 6A in 1991, 1992; and Arapahoe repeated when the sport was unclassified in 1985 and 1986.
Burris says a big reason why is the cohesion Grandview played with this season.
“We knew everyone was after us for the state title,” she said. “This is a bunch of girls that know each other pretty well. We play club together. We all just wanted it bad for ourselves. It’s something Grandview soccer has never done.”
Grandview, a school that opened in Aurora in 1998, has now won 11 state championships, ten in girls sports and one in boys.
As for Mountain Vista, reigning national player of the year Mallory Pugh, called up to the women’s national team in January, opted not to play this season — though she was on the roster and supported her teammates throughout the year.
The Golden Eagles also lost all-state players Megan Massey and Morgan McDougal off a team that reached the semifinals. Nonetheless, the No. 6 seed beat Fossil Ridge, Cherokee Trail, Arapahoe and Columbine on the way to a runner-up finish.