DENVER | The Smoky Hill field hockey team took another step toward bringing home the first consolation bracket championship with a weather-shortened victory Tuesday night.
The eighth-seeded Buffaloes built a 3-1 lead over No. 12 Cheyenne Mountain after three periods of play at All-City Stadium before snow blanketed the field and caused the game to be declared official.
Coach Lisa Griffiths’ Smoky Hill team moves into the consolation championship game — which has been rescheduled for 4:30 p.m. Nov. 11 at All-City Stadium — where it will face No. 15 Pine Creek. The Eagles knocked off No. 11 Boulder Valley School District 2-1 in the other consolation semifinal. The Buffaloes (11-6-1) own two regular season victories over Pine Creek (4-13-1) with a 3-1 win Oct. 9 followed by a 4-0 win Oct. 17.
Against Cheyenne Mountain, senior Elyse Bailey got the scoring started when she worked the ball deep on a restart and ripped a shot inside the far post of the goal.
With 15 seconds left in the second quarter, Smoky Hill upped its lead with benefit of a penalty corner opportunity. Senior Ella Ambruso triggered in the play with a pass out high to Bailey, whose shot went towards the far post where Ambruso was stationed with her back to the goal. Ambruso got controlled and rolled the ball past Cheyenne Mountain goalie Harper Green across the line with a backhand to send Smoky Hill into halftime up 2-0.
The Red-Tailed Hawks used a penalty corner chance of their own to cut the lead in half when senior Ella Irgens fired home a loose ball sent in front by senior Presley Cook.
Later in the third period and with the field completely coated with snow (and the circle shoveled multiple times), Smoky Hill executed on a penalty corner with Ambruso sending it to Bailey, who crossed it to senior Julia Kaiser near the top of the circle. Kaiser hammered a shot that made it into the goal for her first score of the season.
Junior goalie Riley Leeser made some key saves and stopped a penalty corner chance for Cheyenne Mountain at the conclusion of the third quarter.
The game was subsequently called after conditions continued to deteriorate.
The consolation championship game will precede the 6:30 p.m. championship final between No. 5 Kent Denver and No. 2 Cherry Creek.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2024 STATE FIELD HOCKEY CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS
Nov. 6 at All-City Stadium
(8) SMOKY HILL 3, (12) CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN 1
Score by quarters:
Chey. Mtn. 0 0 1 — 1
Smoky Hill 1 1 1 — 3
SCORING
First quarter
Smoky Hill — Elyse Bailey, 6:45
Second quarter
Smoky Hill — Ella Ambruso (Bailey), 0:15
Third quarter
Cheyenne Mountain — Ella Irgens (Presley Cook), 12:10
Smoky Hill — Julia Kaiser (Bailey), 5:12
