On a six game winning streak dating back through the regular season, the girls head off to Niwot for playoffs.
TJ Girls' Soccer is headed to the postseason against Niwot after an impressive regular season. photo by Kevin Fleming
Starting April 15, the girls began a tough stretch playing Falcon High School, at Falcon. The long commute clearly didn’t phase TJ as they picked up a win on the road with a score of 2-1. A pair of goals by Casey Edelman in the second half put TJ up as their defense took care of the rest, elevating the girls to a record of 5-3-1.
The win certainly didn’t get to the girls’ heads as the momentum catapulted them over Montbello, winning 10-0. The shutout, recorded by Senior Goalkeeper Mallory Knoll, was her sixth shutout of the season.
Underclassmen certainly picked up the slack as Freshman Belen Gomez and Sophomore Rachel Newman each had a pair of goals. The big scorer of the night was Emily Cordes who recorded six points, coming off one goal and five assists. “I was really happy with the way we all played, and was just happy to see that my crosses made their way through,” stated Cordes, referring to her five assists.
Only two days later, the winning continued for TJ, as they took on the second ranked team in 5A, George Washington. Home field played to TJ’s advantage as a defensive oriented game sent the Patriots packing with a score of 1-0. After a scoreless first half, a lone goal by Senior Robin Emerson, assisted by Morgan Bruzas, gave TJ their seventh win of the season.
The Spartans’ magic continued after a league forfeit by Palmer Ridge, after the league decided a number of questionable calls might have altered the outcome of the game. “I think it was a fair decision. Their goal at the end of the game certainly seemed offsides; even their own coach felt it was an unfair call,” said Emerson.
Only three days later, after the scratch at Palmer Ridge, the girls took on John F. Kennedy at All City Stadium, for the city title. Kennedy, the defending city champs, put up a good fight but two early goals by Emerson and Sophomore Haley Philipus put the game out of reach. With a final score of 3-1, the girls – according to DPS records – attained their first ever city title. “I’m really excited. We’ve been doing well all year, this was just the crown jewel on top of it all,” said Emerson.
Due to a cancellation earlier in the year, the girls played Lincoln after their city clinching victory and kept the streak alive at six. With a score of 5-0, the seventh shutout by Knoll capped off their season with an impressive record of 9-3-1.
The first round of the playoffs sends TJ out to Niwot High School, May 5, at 4 pm. Second ranked Niwot (12-2-1) brings a competitive edge to the table, hoping to slow down the red hot Spartans.
