She might be the forgotten player on the soccer field the majority of the time, but Jamie Scarcliff isn’t able to let down her guard.
Ralston Valley’s junior goalie hasn’t surrendered a goal since March 25. Ten shutout victories later, Scarcliff knows that she will face more shots as the top-seeded Mustangs enter the state tournament.
“I just try to keep moving. That way I’m into the game. If you just stand there you kind of start zoning out,” Scarcliff said after Ralston Valley dismantled Fountain-Fort Carson 8-0 in a regional playoff game May 8 at the North Area Athletic Complex.
“I love working with my defense,” Scarcliff said. “We’re able to work together pretty well and have fun.”
The rock-solid defense of juniors Stacie Sweet, Alina Hartfield, Alicia Martinez and sophomore Lindsey Chao has done a remarkable job this year, allowing Scarcliff to become more of a spectator than worrying about making diving saves.
Against the Trojans, Scarcliff faced just two shots. The junior proved that she is up to the task when called upon. Fountain-Fort Carson junior Rebeccah Drennan rocked a direct kick from just outside the goalie box midway through the first half.
Scarcliff jumped to tip the ball over the top of the goal. The ball bounced twice on top of the cross bar before falling to the feet of Trojan forward Katie Zimbelman. Zimbelman got off a good shot, but Scarcliff made the save.
“That was real fun to see,” Ralston Valley coach Stephanie Carpenter said of the sequence of saves by the Mustangs’ goalie. “I’m proud of her (Scarcliff) being always in the game.”
With the Mustangs’ defense on a string of 10 shutouts, offensively Ralston Valley hasn’t had to put up a ton of goals. But it has. The Mustangs have outscored their opponents 71-0 in their last 10 games.
Junior Erika Sutton was a scoring machine for Ralston Valley in its regional playoff game. The junior forward scored three goals in a span of three minutes to put the Mustangs up 4-0 only 21 minutes into the game.
“We talked as a team that we have to play every game like it’s our last game. We have to go all out,” Sutton said. “We want to win state. That is all there is to it.”
Jessi Keller, Jamie Hynes, Rebecca Cowles, Jen Arceneaux and Hartfield each scored a goal in the rout. Ralston Valley (15-0-1 record) was awarded with the top-seed for the 16-team Class 4A state tournament.
The Mustangs will face Montrose (9-6-1) at 7 p.m. Friday, May 14, at the North Area Athletic Complex in the first round of the state tournament. Last season Ralston Valley defeated the Indians 3-1 in the playoffs.
There won’t be any thoughts of looking past Montrose and toward the state quarterfinals for the Mustangs.
“You just never want to overlook a team,” Carpenter said. “You always want to play up to your potential. It’s the playoffs. Anybody can beat anybody.”
If the Mustangs avoid the upset against Montrose, they will face the winner of Golden and Mountain Vista sometime on or before Wednesday, May 19. Golden gave Ralston Valley its toughest league battle this season with the Mustangs edging out the Demons 3-2.