D’Evelyn’s Shiloh Miller and Emma Denton embrace after Denton’s goals 35 seconds into the first half. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
LAKEWOOD — D’Evelyn’s girls soccer team knew how to get off on the right foot in the postseason Wednesday night at Lakewood Memorial Field.
The Jaguars scored 35 seconds into their Class 4A first-round playoff game against No. 29-seeded George Washington. After halftime it took No. 4 D’Evelyn 32 seconds to find the back of the net.
“Getting the first (goal) usually is a sign that it’s going to go well the rest of the game,” D’Evelyn sophomore Laryssa Hamblen said after the Jaguars’ 5-1 victory.
Senior Emma Denton scored D’Evelyn’s first goal off an assist from sophomore Shiloh Miller.
“We always try to score first,” Denton said. “We have such good forwards who play good balls in. I was just on the end of it.”
D’Evelyn’s Tianna Wright scored the final goal of the night for the Jaguars. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
It took the Jaguars (12-3-1 record) awhile to get their second goal. Junior Alexis Miller buried a penalty kick in the 26th minute as the Jaguars took a 2-0 lead into halftime.
“At the beginning we might have scored too early. We had a lot of energy in the beginning,” D’Evelyn coach Paul Moline said. “To get a quick goal in the second half was almost the same thing. The one in the second half really settled the nerves.”
Hamblen got the goal 32 seconds into the second half with the first of two second-half goals by D’Evelyn’s leading goal scorer. The sophomore’s 18th and 19th goals of the season were both on rebounds that George Washington goalie Elizabeth Price couldn’t gather in.
“We just needed to shoot, follow, shoot, follow tonight,” Moline said as a steady rain fell the entire game. “Anything can happen in this wet stuff.”
D’Evelyn’s Alexis Miller settles down a ball in the first half. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
D’Evelyn junior Tianna Wright scored the Jaguars’ fifth goal in the 58th minute. The Patriots (10-6) prevented being shut out when sophomore Catherine Bakken put in a penalty kick in the 64th minute.
The Jaguars will face the winner of No. 20 Ponderosa and No. 13 Pueblo County on Saturday, May 13, back at Lakewood Memorial Field. Ponderosa and Pueblo County had its first-round game postponed because of weather Wednesday. The two are scheduled to play at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 11, at Pueblo County High School.
Hamblen is excited about the Jaguars’ seed. All three of D’Evelyn’s losses came against 4A Jeffco teams (Valor, Wheat Ridge and Evergreen). The Jaguars wouldn’t face a Jeffco team until the state semifinals if D’Evelyn keeps winning.
“I’m pumped. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to play them (4A Jeffco teams) again,” Hamblen said. “We got a good (seed) in the end. In the long run I think we got one of the better seeds.”
D’Evelyn’s Laryssa Hamblen (5) scored a pair of goal Wednesday night at Lakewood Memorial Field. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)