AURORA | A capsule look at the Class 5A girls soccer state playoff first round game between Rangeview and Valor Christian scheduled for May 10, 2022:
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at [email protected] Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2022 CLASS 5A GIRLS SOCCER FIRST ROUND CAPSULE
NO. 32 RANGEVIEW (9-5-1) AT NO. 1 VALOR CHRISTIAN (13-0)
May 10, 7 p.m., Valor Christian H.S.
BREAKDOWN: Rangeview is back in the postseason for the first time since 2015, when it lost to Mountain Vista in the first round, while Valor Christian has qualified for the state playoffs for the 11th consecutive season. The Eagles made it to the Class 5A semifinals last season before losing to Rock Canyon. …The programs meet for the first time since 2009, when Valor Christian won 7-0.
RANGEVIEW: Coach Vic Strouse’s Raiders got hot at the right time to qualify for the postseason, as they went 4-1-1 in their final six games to earn the second automatic berth in the playoffs from the EMAC. Rangeview finished behind champion Brighton (the No. 31 seed) in the standings of the mixed classification conference. …The Raiders averaged 2.4 goals per contest and got at least one goal from nine different players. Sophomore forward Jennesse Byrd accounted for 13 of the team’s 36 goals, while freshman midfielder Hazel Bonansinger led the team in assists with nine and scored six goals, as did sophomore midfielder Caden Surratt, who had a hat trick in the team’s last game against Hinkley. Defensively, Rangeview allowed 1.8 goals per game with sophomore Jazlyn Yomona playing the entire season in the nets. The Raiders posted seven shutouts.
VALOR CHRISTIAN: Coach Brian Schultz’s Eagles enter the postseason undefeated and only had two games — a 2-1 win over Broomfield and 4-3 overtime win over Pine Creek in its regular season finale — decided by fewer than two games. They were champions of the Jeffco League, which had six of its eight teams make the playoffs. …Valor Christian has averaged nearly five goals per game and 14 different players have scored at least one time. Senior Ajanae Respass paces the Eagles with 15 goals and also has nine assists, which ties senior Payton Parsons for the team lead. Junior Jo Sees has tallied 12 goals and Parsons has eight as the focal points of the offense. Valor Christian hasn’t needed much offense as its has allowed an average of half a goal per contest. Junior Jaidin Kinch has played the majority of the minutes in the goal and surrendered just five goals in 768 minutes of play.
WINNER GETS: The Rangeview-Valor Christian winner advances to the second round, where it will meet the winner of the first round game between No. 17 Regis Jesuit and No. 16 Fort Collins.
BRACKET: The Class 5A state playoff bracket can be found, here
