Regis junior Celia Jotte attempts to get a shot on Columbine goalie Madeline Samuelson, far right, during the first half Thursday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
LAKEWOOD — It was a Class 5A girls soccer top-10 showdown Thursday night at Lakewood Memorial Field.
Regis Jesuit, No. 7 in the latest CHSAANow.com 5A girls soccer rankings, knocked in a pair of second-half penalty kicks to defeated top-ranked Columbine 2-0.
“It’s been a tough five games. We’ve played some very talented teams,” Regis coach Will Cropper said of his Raiders. “Today we closed out. The girls played with their heads. Penalty kicks, you will take what you can take. We were in the right place at the right time to create those opportunities.”
After a scoreless first half, Regis senior Sydney Pulver was taken down in Columbine’s box and awarded a penalty kick. Pulver buried the PK past Rebels’ goalie Madeline Samuelson in the 48th minute to take a 1-0 lead.
Regis added a second goal on another penalty kick in the 51st minute. Columbine was called for a handball in its goalie box. Junior Abby Kassal kicked in the PK for the 2-0 lead.
Columbine junior Skylar Alward (7) battles Regis junior Celia Jotte (3) for possession. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“It was definitely a relief because we have really struggled once we’ve got one goal to be able to get another one to put it away,” Kassal said. “It was a good feeling to put the game away.”
After back-to-back victories over Castle View and defending 5A state champion Grandview, Regis had to settle for a pair of 1-1 ties against Smoky Hill and Cherokee Trail.
“Our girls hustled with the unit we had. I’m very proud of them,” Columbine coach Brian Todd said. “We didn’t manage many great scoring chances either, but we battled and played decent soccer.”
Several of the top 5A teams in the state scheduled very tough non-league schedules. Columbine (3-3 record) is in the same boat having played the likes of 5A powers Cherokee Trail, Mountain Vista and Arapahoe before facing Regis.
“It’s a good test and a good foundation we are all building on. We are also beating each other up, which is the bad part about it,” Todd said about scheduling tough teams for its non-league schedule. “I think we all did it because we weren’t sure what RPI means. You don’t know if doing it like this is the right way. We’ll learn this first year through. Ultimately, I think it’s good because you’ll be tested.”
In 5A this season, the top two teams in pretty much every conference receive automatic bids to the 32-team state tournament. The Rating Percentage Index (RPI) will be used to fill the remainder of the bracket and determine the seeding.
“There is no one team that is really bulldozing through,” Cropper said. “I’ve got girls who have played five games in six days with high school and club games. I don’t know how they are still standing. They will take a good break next week. They deserve it.”
Freshmen Ava Laden, left, and Teagan Marshall chase after a loose ball. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Columbine and Regis have nearly a 2-week break from games with spring break on the horizon.
The Rebels return to the field against rival Dakota Ridge in a 5A Jeffco League opener April 6 at Lakewood Memorial Field. Columbine is attempting to win its fourth straight conference title.
“It’s for sure motivating,” Columbine junior Skylar Alward said about the Rebels having lost back-to-back games this week. “I think we are going to work super hard over spring break. I think this give us a little fire to come out and do really good in league.”
The Rebels also hope to get healthy.
“We just had a huge bout of strep and flu going around,” Todd said about missing three starters Thursday. “It’s part of the journey.”
Columbine won the 2014 5A state championship, but has been able to return to the title game over the past two years despite a 27-8-2 combined record over the previous two seasons.
Regis (3-0-2, 1-0 in 5A/4A Continental League) continues its league schedule when the Raiders host ThunderRidge on April 4. Regis is the defending conference champion in the always competitive Continental.
“This was a good ending to our first part of the season,” Kassal said. “Now we get a little break and then we’ll be back at it.”
Columbine Tessa Barton, right, attempts to get past Regis senior Gabbie McWilliams. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)