It was payback time Saturday night at Englewood High School.
Green Mountain had defeated Valor Christian 3-1 during the Class 4A Jeffco League season, eventually winning the conference title. The Rams (14-2-3 record) were clearly a marked team in the rematch in the state semifinal game as the Eagles scored four times in the first half on the way to a 5-0 victory.
“(Valor) came out hard. They played well,” Green Mountain coach Ken Fehr said. “We weren’t that prepared today. I thought we were.”
Valor’s speed on the hard and quick artificial turf was a big advantage for the Eagles (16-1-1). Senior Jaelene Hickle assisted on three of Valor’s four goals in the opening 40 minutes. Seniors Madison Meyers and Christine Adams, along with sophomore Hannah Hommel and junior Janine Beckie scored for the Eagles in the first half on Green Mountain freshman goalkeeper Lindsey Hendon.
“It was a rough game,” Green Mountain junior Katie Marcheso said. “I think we all expected to do better than we did. Valor came out hard and came out on top.”
Beckie put in an unassisted goal in the back of the net in the 65th minute for the final score. Valor got a third shot at two-time defending state champion Wheat Ridge in the 4A title game that was scheduled for Wednesday, after press deadline, at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City.
Wheat Ridge edged Palmer Ridge 2-1 in the other semifinal Saturday at Englewood High School to have a shot at a three-peat.
Green Mountain can hang its hat on defeating both Wheat Ridge and Valor during the regular season. The Rams came into the year as a darkhorse behind the Jeffco League frontrunners.
“The girls fought all year,” Fehr said. “I’m definitely proud of them. I don’t think we overachieved. We came out and played every game well. Today we just weren’t the better team.”
Fehr only graduates a handful of seniors. Returning starters will include Hendon, along with leading scorers in juniors Karlea Fehr and Marcheso.
“This season showed how hard work can take a team far,” Marcheso said. “We are going to come back bigger and stronger next year. We know what it’s going to take next year.”
Green Mountain’s best scoring chance against Valor came on a shot by junior Lindsay Forrest just before Beckie gave the Eagles a 5-0 lead. Forrest’s shot was pushed aside by junior goalie Kailey Norman, who finished with six saves.
The Rams were coming off an incredible quarterfinal game against Air Academy earlier in the week when they scored with two seconds left in regulation, forcing overtime. Green Mountain went on to win in a shootout to advance.
“We got lucky a few times, but I think we were a good team,” Forrest said. “We wanted to beat Wheat Ridge and Valor (during the regular season), and we did.”