DENVER | A capsule preview of the 2018 Class 5A girls soccer state championship game between Grandview and Broomfield scheduled for May 23, 2018:
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Sentinel Prep Sports
2018 CLASS 5A GIRLS STATE SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No. 2 Broomfield (18-0-1) vs. No. 1 Grandview (16-0-3)
May 23, 7:30 p.m. at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
Breakdown: Neither top-seeded Grandview nor second-seeded Broomfield are strangers to playing each other, playing for the Class 5A state championship or playing at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The Wolves and Eagles will square off in either the semifinal or championship game of the 5A playoffs for the third time in the past four seasons and will meet in the final for the first time since Grandview’s 2-0 win over Broomfield in 2015. Overall, coach Tari Wood’s Wolves play in the a state championship game for the third time in four seasons, while coach Jim Davidson’s Eagles appear in the final for the fourth time in six seasons following back-to-back 4A appearances in 2013 & 2014 and the 5A final in 2015…BROOMFIELD (18-0-1): The Eagles have won every game they’ve played in this season save for a 3-3 double overtime tie with Fossil Ridge April 10. Broomfield opened the state playoffs with a 7-1 victory over Legend, followed by a 2-0 win over Fossil Ridge and then back-to-back overtime wins against Columbine (2-1) and Rock Canyon (3-2)…The Eagles have seven players with six or more goals scored on the season, but senior forward Hailey Stodden, a University of Utah recruit, is their most potent weapon with a team-high 30 goals to go with 10 assists. She’s scored the game-winning goals against both Columbine and Rock Canyon, the latter on a penalty kick. Sophomore Mallory Mooney has 15 goals and 12 assists, while junior Shaylee Gailus (8 goals), senior Ashley Tuccio (7 goals), senior Gia Lemley and juniors Izzy Sorge and Lindsay Hudson have six goals apiece. Senior keeper Grace Fuller has spent the majority of minutes in the net for Broomfield and has allowed four goals…GRANDVIEW (16-0-3): The Wolves were unbeaten in the regular season, which included double-overtime draws with Arapahoe, Rocky Mountain and Colorado Academy. In the postseason, Grandview has averaged more than five goals per game in wins over Pine Creek (6-1), Boulder (6-0), Rocky Mountain (5-0) and Mountain Vista (4-2). The Wolves have been particularly potent in the second half of those games with 16 of their 21 goals coming after halftime…Grandview’s offense comes at teams in waves and 13 different players have tallied at least one goal on the season. University of Denver recruit Natalie Beckman is a driving force with team-highs in goals scored (14) and assists, while junior forward Kendra Gipson is the other player in double figures in goals with 12. Creighton-bound senior Morgan Szarka has scored in the last two playoff games and has eight on the year, while junior Tori Parker has seven and four others (senior Lauren Juul, juniors Kacy Johnston and Shalom Prince and sophomore Caylin Lyubenko have a handful each). All seasons, the Wolves have rotated senior Reagan McCombs (a Central Arkansas recruit) and junior Madi Livingston in the net and both have been very good. McCombs has allowed three postseason goals and four for the entire season, while Livington is unscored upon in the playoffs and has also surrendered four goals on the season.