AURORA | A win is sweeter when a trophy is involved, so the Cherokee Trail girls soccer team’s 2-1 victory over rival Grandview Tuesday wasn’t just for bragging rights.
The Cougars (9-3-2) got goals in each half from junior Makayla Sellyei and held on for a one-goal win at Legacy Stadium to claim the Arapahoe Derby trophy for the first time.
Alternating halves as usual, Cherokee Trail senior keepers Ruby Arsenault and Kiley Hyde combined to keep Grandview — which scored the opening goal 10 minutes into the game — off the scoreboard for the remainder of the contest.
The teams tied last season, but it was the first win in the series for coach Jose Rosales’ Cherokee Trail team since 2021.
Nearly 10 minutes into the contest, it was coach Brian Wood’s Grandview (5-7-2) team that got on the scoreboard first, however, with the execution on a set piece. Junior Allie Smith’s corner kick service came down in the middle of the box where freshman Isabella Limas-Villers found open space and headed it into the net.
The Wolves’ advantage lasted 10 minutes until Sellyei tied it with her seventh goal of the season.
The junior midfielder found open space and ripped a shot from 25 yards out that glanced off the hand of diving Grandview senior keeper Ivy Daniel, hit the bottom side of the crossbar and was deemed to have crossed the line when it ricocheted down.
The game remained deadlocked into halftime and then through the 58th minute, when Sellyei launched a left-footed shot from the outside that eluded Daniel and landed inside the far post.
The strike lifted Sellyei into a tie with junior Sam Garofalo for the team lead with eight goals and it stood up the rest of the day
Both teams finish the regular season on May 1, as Grandview plays host to Regis Jesuit at 6 p.m. at Legacy Stadium and Cherokee Trail plays a 7 p.m. road game against Arapahoe.
Seeding for the Class 5A girls soccer state playoffs will be put out May 4.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
CHEROKEE TRAIL 2, GRANDVIEW 1
Score by halves:
Grandview 1 0 — 1
Cher. Trail 1 1 — 2
First half
Grandview — Isabella Limas-Villers (Allie Smith), 10th minute
Cherokee Trail — Makayla Sellyei, 20th minutes
Second half
Cherokee Trail — Sellyei, 58th minute
