Arapahoe scored early in the game and Rangeview tied the score by scoring a goal with 27 seconds remaining in the first half of the Nov. 2 second-round Class 5A state soccer playoff game.
Both teams mounted strong attacks and both teams played stingy defense. The score remained tied through the second half and through both 15-minute overtime periods, so the game went to a shootout.
In the shootout, the Warrior goalie made two saves on five shots; the Rangeview goalie made two saves on four shots; and when the fifth Warrior player put his shot in the net, Arapahoe won the shootout and officially won the game to advance to the Nov. 5 state semifinals against Fossil Ridge. The Warriors’ season ended in that game after a 4-3 loss.
“Rangeview has great speed, they have great talent and they deserved to be here tonight,” Arapahoe Coach Mike Hampshire said after the second-round game. “They played smart, they played tough and it was what a playoff game should be.”
He said the chemistry of this team is exceptional. He said he has great leadership from his seniors and the teamwork is one of the strengths of the Warriors this season.
“It was a physical game and the referees did a good job balancing physical play that is part of a playoff game with making sure the players were always safe,” he said. “It was a good game and a good win for us.”
Key moments
The action was fast-paced throughout the two halves and the two overtime periods. It was a very physical game, and frequently a player from each team went to the ground as a result of the collision with an opponent in the battle for a loose ball.
Five players from each team were selected for the first round of the shootout. A shooter from each team alternated taking a penalty shot against the opponent’s goalie.
Rangeview shot first and made two of the first five shots against Arapahoe goalie Spencer Cobb, who also made two saves of the first four shots against him. The Warriors got the win when their final shooter put the ball in the net.
Arapahoe senior Jeremy Belin was the goalie through the two halves of regulation play and the two overtime periods. Coach Hampshire said he made the gut decision to put Spencer Cobb in goal for the shootout.
“Jeremy (Belin) is our senior and played a big role in getting us here tonight,” the coach said. “Spencer Cobb is also a very good goalie and has done really well against penalty kicks in practice. So I decided to have fresh legs in the net for the shootout so I put Spencer in as goalie. Jeremy is a great leader, accepted the decision and supported and cheered for his teammate.”
Key players/statistics
The Arapahoe goal came early in the first half when Danny Tarwick pushed a pass across the mouth of the goal and Jacob Draudt kicked it past the diving goalie.
The Warriors took nine shots on goal. Three players — Tarwick, Trevor Young and Evan Bunch — each had two shots on goal.
Belin was in goal for the two halves and the two overtime periods, gave up one goal and made 11 saves. Cobb came in for the shootout and made two saves on two of the five penalty shots.
They said it
Belin said he decided to be a goalie because he thinks it is the best position on a soccer team.
“Everyone depends on you, you can’t make mistakes and I just love being in the goal,” he said. “It is such a great feeling when you make a save on a shot headed for the net. There is nothing like it and I guess that is one of the reasons I love playing goalie.”