AURORA | The Regis Jesuit field hockey team continues to improve, but is still missing a victory in the state field hockey postseason.
The Raiders have gone down in the opening round of the eight-team playoffs for four straight seasons, but have a chance to break that streak in 2014.
Coach Spencer Wagner’s Regis Jesuit team is seeded No. 5 in the state tournament, which brings with it a matchup against No. 4 Denver East at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Denver’s All-City Stadium. The winner advances to face top-seeded Colorado Academy, which blanked No. 8 Golden 4-0 in their opener Oct. 17.
Wagner’s team finished the regular season 7-7-1, with the tie coming with a 0-0 deadlock on Oct. 16 against the same Denver East team it is set to face to open the playoffs. The Raiders posted their first-ever victory against the Angels on Sept. 11 with a 1-0 victory at Laber Field on Abby Wist’s goal.
Offensively, senior Katie Lechner leads the Raiders with five goals, while Lindsey Reich and Kathleen Roe have scored four apiece. In the goal, standout junior Claire Stemper has posted five shutouts and allowed just 1.3 goals per game.
Denver East (7-2-5) is unbeaten since losing to Regis Jesuit, going 6-0-4 in that span.
Notes: The Raiders lost to Colorado Academy (4-0) in the 2011 postseason, to Colorado Academy (3-0) again in 2012 and to Palmer Ridge (4-0) in 2013.
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2014 STATE FIELD HOCKEY PLAYOFFS
First round
Oct. 17: No. 1 Colorado Academy 4, No. 8 Golden 0
Oct. 20: No. 5 REGIS JESUIT (7-7) at No. 4 Denver East (7-2-4), 5:30 p.m.
Oct. 20: No. 6 Cherry Creek (7-6-1) at No. 3 Palmer Ridge (10-3-2), 4:30 p.m.
Oct. 20: No. 7 Cheyenne Mountain (6-6-3) at No. 2 Kent Denver (12-1-1), 4:15 p.m.
