(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
MONUMENT — Annica Fletemeyer had two of her shots deflected and the outcomes were determined by inches. One went off the crossbar and just missed going in the net for a game-tying goal. The other went off a player, and won Lewis-Palmer the game.
In a rematch of last year’s Class 4A state title game, the CHSAANow.com No. 1-ranked Lewis-Palmer Rangers came away with a 3-1 win over No. 2 Cheyenne Mountain.
It was the first loss against a 4A team for the Indians.
“(Tonight was about) we can play with them,” Lewis-Palmer coach Joe Martin said. “They’re a good team, they’re well coached and we knew we could play with them.”
The Rangers (8-1 overall, 2-0 Pikes Peak) looked every bit the championship contender as they controlled possession for the vast majority of the game.
It took nearly 23 minutes before the Indians (4-4, 1-1) were able to put together and good offensive look and did they ever capitalize on it.
Jamie Burke set up for a corner kicked and placed the ball perfectly in front of the Lewis-Palmer net where Molly Darr was waiting to head the ball into the net.
On Cheyenne Mountain’s first shot of the game, it took a 1-0 lead.
“I felt like we needed to create more opportunities,” Indians coach Tomas Martinez said. “I didn’t think we did a good job at creating chances, but I knew we would find ways.”
But perhaps not as many ways as he thought.
The Rangers weren’t going to to just let the Indians snatch the game away from them like they did last May. Fletemeyer came within inches of tying the game as she launched a shot over Indians keeper Amanda Beach. The ball hit the crossbar and landed in the field of play causing a second of hesitation as the refs signaled no goal.
There was a bit of a worry that the bounces were not going to go the Rangers’ way.
“A little bit,” Fletemeyer said. “It’s okay though. We bounced back and we got them.”
But no matter. Sarah Lyons found the net shortly after, tying the game up for Lewis-Palmer as the game went into halftime.
“After they scored the first goal, our intensity got greater,” Fletemeyer said. “I think we really picked it up after that first goal.”
The Rangers went hunting for the go-ahead goal early in the second half and got their opportunity less than eight minutes in. Kirsten Hatton’s corner kick got deflected out to the point and it was Fletemeyer who gained control in front of the net.
She took a shot off her heel and a slight deflection let it sneak by Beach, giving the Rangers their first lead of the game at 2-1.
And with memories of a tie game going to penalty kicks in which Cheyenne Mountain came away the winner, the Rangers knew they needed one more goal.
Brianna Alger was able to bring the ball deep into the Cheyenne Mountain zone in the 62nd minute and found Fletemeyer crashing the net. With a 3-1 lead in hand, the Rangers could taste a much-desired win over their league rivals.
“We just wanted it so bad,” Fletemeyer said. “We wanted revenge so bad and we got it.”
The Indians couldn’t muster any more offense and the end result was their first loss to a 4A opponent. Cheyenne Mountain’s other three losses were to 5A teams.
But Martinez knows that the more important games will come at the end of the season.
“They had a little bit more of a revenge factor tonight,” Martinez said. “But we have the trophy so it’s all good. We’ll see them again.”