(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
DENVER — It turns out there was gold on the end of the rainbow that was the 70-game unbeaten streak for the Colorado Academy field hockey team.
The Mustangs topped Cherry Creek 1-0 Saturday night to win the 2015 state championship. It is the fourth-straight state title for the Mustangs.
“It’s definitely not routine,” Colorado Academy coach Veronica Scott said. “It’s beautiful for the seniors because there’s eight girls here who have not lost a game in four years. It’s their fourth championship. For them, that’s extra special.”
It was a tough night for either offense to get anything going. The best opportunity for either team came with about five minutes left in the first half as Colorado Academy was given a corner opportunity and the ball was played right in front of Cherry Creek keeper Sara McGuire.
She was able to kick it out of immediate danger, and the Bruin defenders were able to clear the ball away from the net, preserving the 0-0 tie.
The Mustangs got another corner opportunity with about 20 seconds left in the half, but Clara Petch’s shot was deflected and time ran out. The teams went into halftime at a scoreless tie and began making adjustments, hoping something would give.
“We tried to change up a few things,” Cherry Creek coach Taylor Silvestro said. “The main thing was keep up the intensity and try to beat C.A. to the ball.”
The Bruins came out in the second half trying to press a little more on the offensive end, but turned the ball over to the Mustangs and then committed a foul inside the circle, leading to another Colorado Academy corner. Emma Richards played the ball in and then received a pass with a great shot at the net.
Bu like she had for most of the night, McGuire turned the ball away and kept the Bruins in the game.
But the Mustangs began to feed off the momentum from that shot. They consistently played in the Cherry Creek zone and put pressure on McGuire and the Cherry Creek defense.
Colorado Academy thought they had a goal on a Petch shot, but the officials deemed it a dangerous ball and the goal was waived off.
But the Bruins wouldn’t be as fortunate only minutes later. Sammy Little played her way behind McGuire and a received a pass leaving her with a wide open net. She buried the shot home, giving the Mustangs a 1-0 lead and inching them closer to championship gold.
“I think it was a very even game and that’s why it took a while for the opportunity to come,” Little said. “Luckily we were in the right place at the right time and it worked out for us.”
And that it did. Being in the right place at the right time once again had the Mustangs lifting championship gold. Colorado Academy had beaten Cherry Creek 2-1 earlier in the season and the Bruins felt they also could have won that game.
At half, with the game scoreless, it seemed that the title of champion was in play for either team, but it was the Mustangs who kicked up the intensity in the last 30 minutes to come away as winners.
“Our nerves started to kick in during the first half,” Little said. “In the second half we were able to relax and get into the swing of things and trust our teammates and trust ourselves.”