FORT COLLINS | Lightning significantly delayed Tuesday night’s Class 5A girls soccer first round state playoff game at French Field, then Cherokee Trail found its in a two-goal hole in a flash.
The 22nd-seeded Cougars ceded two goals to No. 11 Rocky Mountain three minutes after an hour-long hiatus due to weather and couldn’t totally climb out of it in a 2-1 loss.
Junior Kiana Sparrow scored early in the second half, but coach Jose Rosales’ team couldn’t find the equalizer in the second half as Cherokee Trail finished the season 10-6.
Sparrow’s goal was her team-leading ninth of the season and snapped a scoreless streak of more than 200 minutes as the Cougars were shut out against Rock Canyon and Pine Creek after they had two second-half goals in a 2-0 win over Eaglecrest May 1.
Cherokee Trail expects to return nearly its entire lineup next season minus striker Torie Turner, who scored five goals in her senior season after she tallied 16 as a junior, as well as strong contributors in the midfield in Abby Winsor and on defense in Georgia Shattuck.
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2023 Class 5A girls soccer state playoffs (1st round)
(11) ROCKY MOUNTAIN 2, (22) CHEROKEE TRAIL 1
Score by halves:
Cherokee Trail 0 1 — 1
Rocky Mountain 2 0 — 2
Cherokee Trail goal: Kiana Sparrow. Rocky Mountain goals: Jace Holey, Addison Osilka. Rocky Mountain assist: Holey.