AURORA | The Eaglecrest girls soccer team felt the sting of disappointment at missing last season’s Class 5A state playoffs.
Senior striker Brittney Thornton and the Raptors hope to make up for it by gaining admission to this season’s field. They strengthened their cause with a 5-0 blanking of Rangeview — the East Metro Athletic Conference champion — in an all-Aurora non-league meeting May 2.
Thornton scored four goals — almost as many as she all season coming into the game — and Eaglecrest improved to 8-3-2 overall. Jessica Tennyson had the other goal for the Raptors, who close out the season against Smoky Hill in Centennial League play at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Legacy Stadium.
Only the top two teams from the Centennial League — champion Smoky Hill and second-place Cherry Creek — gain automatic qualification into the state tournament field, but coach Greg Watts’ Raptors are among those with strong bids one of the 11 at-large berths along with another Aurora team, Grandview.
Coach Vic Strouse’s Rangeview squad, which was missing its second leading scorer — junior Vanessa Madera — due to injury, fell to 11-3 overall.
Despite the result, Strouse was pleased the Raiders got a look at a quality team from a strong league late in the season given the EMAC schedule wasn’t terribly challenging. He hopes that Rangeview will receive a top 16 seed in the 5A playoffs, which would mean a first round home game.
Thornton broke Eaglecrest’s existing career goal scored record earlier this season and continued to build on her new mark against Rangeview.
With her first goal in nearly a month — since scoring twice against Aurora Central on April 8 — Thornton put the Raptors ahead early and got them rolling.
Tennyson scored soon after and Thornton added another late in the first half to give Eaglecrest a 3-0 cushion at halftime.
Thornton tallied her 9th and 10th goals of the season in the second half, passing sophomore Korena Perales for the team lead in goals. Perales, who typically plays up top with Thornton, shifted to the midfield as Watts needed her there because of some injuries.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
EAGLECREST 5, RANGEVIEW 0
Score by halves:
Eaglecrest 3 2 — 5
Rangeview 0 0 — 0
Eaglecrest goals: Brittney Thornton 4, Jessica Tennyson. Eaglecrest assists: Sam Ginsburg, Jordan Murch, Korena Perales, Jessica Westhoff. Eaglecrest saves: Heather Thompson 2, Kaitlyn Garza 1.
