(Jack Carlough)
COLORADO SPRINGS – With both Broomfield and Rock Canyon coming off one-goal wins in the semifinals, another low-scoring contest was expected when the teams clashed in the Class 5A finals on Saturday at Weidner Field.
The biggest difference was the second-seeded Eagles had Bailee Giddings on their side. The sophomore was given the opportunity of her career and delivered on a penalty kick to break a tie late in the second half and help send the Eagles home with a 3-1 victory and the championship trophy.
“There (were) a lot of nerves going around with that and I was super nervous,” Giddings said. “But you practice those in practice over and over again, so I felt confident to take it.”
Giddings’ second goal of the day was plenty for Broomfield to secure its first state title since winning 4A in 2006. Sophomore Michaela McGowan added a valuable insurance goal with 7:45 left to give the Eagles their eventual two-score victory.
For a program that has finished runner-up in four of the last seven seasons, Broomfield coach Jim Davidson said it felt good for the team to finally take that next step.
“It’s nice to get the monkey off our back and get the breakthrough state championship,” Davidson said. “Really proud of the girls.”
Although she missed out on her freshman season due to the COVID-19 pandemic canceling the 2020 spring campaign, Giddings’ lack of experience didn’t matter much when it mattered most. Just minutes after scoring the opening goal of the game, her hamstring cramped around midfield. Davidson said the injury was concerning at the time but Giddings didn’t skip a beat.
“We were worried about what kind of minutes she’s going to be able to give us in the second half,” Davidson said. “To go literally the entirety of the second half and to put the game away for us speaks to her mentality and her courage.”
Rock Canyon, which came in as the No. 4-seed, scored its lone goal of the afternoon in the 43rd minute. Junior Cate Sheahan headed a corner kick to tie the game at one and, at least momentarily, spark life in the Jaguars. The goal was just Broomfield’s second allowed in its four playoff games.
Davidson said that Rock Canyon’s momentum-shifting goal had him a bit nervous on the sidelines. The Eagles, however, adjusted and worked to regain control of the midfield, which ultimately produced Giddings’ winning penalty kick.
Broomfield’s victory cemented a 13-0-1 season, while Rock Canyon lost for the first time since its opening game against Ponderosa on May 6.