Denver East upset No. 1 Cherry Creek on Friday. More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
GREENWOOD VILLAGE — To watch Denver East play, you’d think that they were the No. 1 ranked team in Colorado.
The No. 3 Angels (11-4 overall) came over to Cherry Creek and outlasted the No. 1 ranked Bruins (13-2) in their own stadium by a final score of 12-11, behind incredible quick-strike ability and the outstanding play of goaltender Lula Mitchell.
“Lula is one of the better goalies in this league,” said Denver East co-head coach Chris Romer. “And it’s obvious she is getting in peoples’ head because the more shots she stops, the more start sailing wide of the net as well.”
Yet despite Mitchell’s game, it was back and forth all evening as the two teams exchanged blows throughout the duration of the match, though East did not trail at any point.
The first half began with fireworks, as the two teams combined for 13 total goals. After Alex Searles’ great individual effort to send the Angels out to a 3-1 lead, Eliza Radochonski took a pass from Emma Godfrey and buried it to put the Bruins right back into the game.
And that was the way it would go in the half, with the Angels building two and three goal leads on fast breaks and quick passes, only to see Cherry Creek come right back on long, sustained possessions and prime opportunities in front off of fouls.
Perhaps the most impressive goal of the half came on an apparent one-timer by Radochonski, who streaked down the slot to swat a well-timed pass from teammate Hali Sibilia out of mid-air and into the net.
More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
At the half, it was 8-5 in favor of the visitors and the Bruins knew they had to make something happen.
As the second half commenced, Creek looked determined to even the score. They battled back with even better possessions than in the first, with Eats seemingly content to nurse their three goal lead. Holly Sutherland would make it 8-7 before the Angels got their next tally, and the Bruins would eventually tie the game at 9-all with over 11 minutes to play.
That would be when it all unraveled for Cherry Creek. Three more tallies by East, including Sarah Nick’s fifth of the game, would put the Angels up for good, and though the Bruins would get within one with three minutes to go, they would never really have a chance for the final equalizer.
For Creek it was the first loss the team has suffered since playing Foothill High School in California in late March.
As for the Angels, they insist that their game tonight was nothing new.
“We just lined up and played East lacrosse,” co-head coach Mallory Cleveland said with a wry smile.