LAKEWOOD — It appears Golden’s boys soccer team is going to present the same problem to opponents it did last year.
The Demons — No. 10 in the CHSAANow.com Class 4A boys soccer preseason rankings — didn’t have a double-digit goal scorer last season on the way to a 13-4 record and 4A Jeffco League title. However, the strength came with Golden scoring diversity with 14 different players finding the back of the net.
Golden junior Daniel Erger (9) is tripped up by Lewis-Palmer senior Connor Hayes during the Demons’ season opener Thursday at Lakewood Memorial Field. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“No matter who we have out on the field we are just as strong as our starters and have just as much of a chance to score as our starters,” Golden senior Zach Chapman said Thursday night after the Demons’ 3-1 season-opening victory against Lewis-Palmer at Lakewood Memorial Field.
Chapman, along with fellow seniors Christian Sekavac and Nate Thompson were the goal scorers against the Rangers (0-1 record).
Sekavac scored the opening goal in the 7th minute. With Lewis-Palmer goalie Aidan McGonagle out of the net after coming forward to clear a ball, Sekavac got control of the ball and lobbed a long shot over everyone’s head. McGonagle attempted to scramble back, but couldn’t catch up to the bounding ball that ended up in the back of the net.
Chapman made it a 2-0 game in the 26th minute converting on a corner kick by senior Joaquin Garfias.
“It was pretty simple,” Chapman said of his eventual game-winning goal. “Nobody was really marking me because I wasn’t on the far post like everyone else. It was a good goal, my first varsity goal.”
Lewis-Palmer answered just before halftime with a goal by junior Tyler Pritchard, but the Rangers couldn’t get any closer.
Golden senior Christian Sekavac (19) lofts a shot on goal during the 7th minute against Lewis-Palmer on Thursday at Lakewood Memorial Field. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Golden put the game away in the 68th minute with a penalty kick goal by senior Nate Thompson.
“The boys have been working hard. They have put in so much time and effort,” Golden coach Larry Harding said of his Demons which were the last team in 4A Jeffco to start its regular season. “I’m just so proud of them. It was a team effort tonight.”
It was an improvement to last year’s season opener. Lewis-Palmer handed the Demons a 2-0 loss in Monument last season to start the year.
The memory of the 2-1 second-round playoff loss to Pueblo Centennial is a big motivating factor for the Demons.
“We’ve been working since the beginning of the summer as a team. We all know each other and have played together forever,” Chapman said. “We have been looking forward for this for a long time. We are hungry again.”
Lewis-Palmer junior Charles Holland (13) and Golden senior Joaquin Garfias battle for possession Thursday at Lakewood Memorial Field. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Thompson, one of a dozen seniors on the roster, is confident the Demons can successful defend their conference title and make some more noise in the state tournament.
“I think we’ll definitely go further in the playoff this year,” Thompson said. “We’ve worked harder and we have a better team this year.”
Golden is back in action next Tuesday, Sept. 3. The Demons face former 4A Jeffco rival Alameda International (1-0) at 5 p.m. next Tuesday at the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada.
“We’ve got some good talent and they just work so hard. It’s a wonderful group of boys,” Harding said. “All I’m hoping for is that I’m able to keep them together and keep them on an even-keel. If we can do that we’ll have a very good season.”
Golden senior Sam Malkovich (17) beats Lewis-Palmer junior Ethan Mann (9) to the ball during the opening half Thursday at Lakewood Memorial Field. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)