The Grandview girls soccer team is fond of three-letter acronyms — “GAS” (Get A Star) and “DOT.” (Defend Our Title) — and all the Wolves seem to do lately is “WIN.”
Grandview finished off its second straight Class 5A state championship — the first for a 5A girls team since 1991 and 1992 — with a 2-1 win over Mountain Vista, pushing its jaw-dropping unbeaten streak to 35-0-1 dating back to March of 2015.
A large number of players from coach Tari Wood’s budding dynasty form the backbone of 2016 Aurora Sentinel All-City Girls Soccer Team, which is selected by the Sentinel in conjuction with balloting of Aurora coaches from a pool of players that included 28 players voted first team in their respective conferences and 23 others who made all-league second teams.
Grandview’s four All-Centennial League first-team selections — league player of the year Nicole Lyubenko and juniors Jessica Hixson and Taylor Parker, plus senior Mandi Duggan — are joined by multiple players from Cherokee Trail, Regis Jesuit and Hinkley and some from Eaglecrest, Smoky Hill and Vista PEAK on the All-Aurora squad.
Lyubenko gave her verbal commitment to the University of Alabama after an outstanding sophomore season and followed it up with another outstanding season as the only double-digit scorer on a balanced Wolves team.
The Centennial League Player of the Year — who was dangerous with her shot from virtually anywhere from midfield and in — had 12 goals to go with seven assists, many of which came on her precision corner kick serves.
The playmaking Duggan assisted on both goals for Grandview in the state championship game, setting up Melanie Jenkins in the first half and Avianne Burris in the second half.
The diminutive University of Kansas signee finished with 15 assists, which tied her for eighth in 5A and put her second in Aurora behind the 21 from Hinkley’s Teaggan Ilela, while she also tallied seven goals.
A central figure on a defense that helped the Wolves allow a 5A-low seven goals in 19 games, Hixson also contributed nine goals and three assists, using her size as a weapon on set pieces, where defenses had trouble accounting for her given the rest of the weapons Grandview had. She committed to the University of Utah prior to the season.
Alongside Hixson, Parker — a University of Denver commitment — played a stellar season in the back. She locked things down on the defensive end, allowing her backline mates to push forward and she had the closing speed to run down any opponent that got loose.
Parker had one of the pivotal plays in the state championship game when she instinctively hugged the goal post on a Mountain Vista corner kick — which she didn’t typically do — and kept a sure goal out of the net.
Cherokee Trail lost just twice this season — to the two teams that met for the 5A state title — and took another step forward in its level of play.
Junior Rebekah Burton played a more patient role this season, but still had a major impact offensively. She led Centennial League players with 17 goals — including a five-goal outburst against Overland — and tied for fourth with seven assists.
The Cougars’ defense allowed just eight goals, third-best in 5A, and the play of senior goalie Taylor Heil had a lot to do with it. The UNLV signee notched eight shutouts and allowed more than one goal in a game once (to Grandview).
Regis Jesuit won the first Continental League championship in program history with a talented and balanced lineup.
Sophomore striker Abby Kassal came close to double digits in both goals and assists with eight and nine, respectively, while her goal tally included the game-winner in the Raiders’ win over Mountain Vista.
Junior midfielder Sydney Pulver garnered All-Cotinental League first team honors with 10 goals and five assists, while sophomore Mia Albery keyed a strong backline and made her only goal count, as it beat ThunderRidge to seal a league title.
Hinkley missed the playoffs, despite a six-game winning streak to end the regular season, but it wasn’t for lack of offense.
Senior Raquel Isaac and junior Teaggan Ilela — both multi-sport athletes — combined for 47 goals and 30 assists and keyed an attack that ranked the Thunderbirds seventh in offense in 5A.
Aurora’s goal-scoring leader resided at Vista PEAK in sophomore Kierra Cox, who netted 34 goals and helped lead the Bison to their first Colorado 7 championship. She was selected league player of the year.
Senior Mattie Alpert scored nearly half of Eaglecrest’s 34 goals on the season, as the All-Centennial League first team forward tallied 15 times. She scored in each of the Raptors’ biggest wins, Centennial League victories over Arapahoe and Mullen.
Smoky Hill had a rugged schedule and won just five times, but hung with many talented teams in large part because of defense. The Buffs had two all-league first team defenders, including steady junior Emily Goodson.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2016 AURORA SENTINEL ALL-CITY GIRLS SOCCER TEAM
FIRST TEAM — Forward: Mattie Alpert, Eaglecrest, sr.; Mandi Duggan, Grandview, sr.; Abby Kassal, Regis Jesuit, soph.; Raquel Isaac, Hinkley, sr.; Midfield: Rebekah Burton, Cherokee Trail, jr.; Kierra Cox, Vista PEAK, soph.; Nicole Lyubenko, Grandview, jr.; Sydney Pulver, Regis Jesuit, jr.; Defense: Mia Albery, Regis Jesuit, soph.; Emily Goodson, Smoky Hill, jr.; Jessica Hixson, Grandview, jr.; Taylor Parker, Grandview, jr.; Goalkeeper: Taylor Heil, Cherokee Trail, sr.
SECOND TEAM — Forward: Karli Eheart, Regis Jesuit, jr.; Alesia Garcia, Cherokee Trail, soph.; Tayler Ohu, Rangeview, jr.; Brooke Sosa, Smoky Hill, jr.; Midfield: Michaela Harshfield, Eaglecrest, sr.; Emily Langenderfer, Regis Jesuit, sr.; Morgan Szarka, Grandview, soph.; Jenna Vidal, Vista PEAK, fr.; Defense: Sami Brooks, Smoky Hill, sr.; Hannah Edwards, Cherokee Trail, jr.; Jessica Jefferson, Vista PEAK, soph.; Lindsi Jennings, Grandview, soph.; Goalkeeper: Emily Griffith, Regis Jesuit, sr.
HONORABLE MENTION — Natalie Beckman, Grandview, soph. (midfield); Haylee Blach, Regis Jesuit, sr. (midfield); Jasmine Bowman, Rangeview, fr. (midfield); Avianne Burris, Grandview, jr. (midfield); Brooke Connelly, Hinkley, sr. (defense); Kyleigh Crist, Regis Jesuit, sr. (defense); Julie Cruz, Aurora Central, jr. (midfield); Wendy De La Raza, Vista PEAK, soph. (midfield); Marie Ferdinand, Hinkley, sr. (defense); Kaitlyn Garza, Eaglecrest, sr. (goalkeeper); Madalynn Germann, Grandview, sr. (midfield); Ashley Hartman, Eaglecrest, jr. (defense); Sam Howshar, Smoky Hill, sr. (forward); Makaela Hudcovic, Cherokee Trail, soph. (midfield); Claire Huston, Cherokee Trail, soph. (midfield); Heaven Irwin, Rangeview, sr. (defense); Melanie Jenkins, Grandview, sr. (forward); Melissa Jung, Eaglecrest, soph. (defense); Brittney Lewis, Smoky Hill, jr. (midfield/defense); Kyla Lowry, Rangeview, jr. (defense); Reagan McCombs, Grandview, soph. (goalkeeper); Delaney McLelland, Cherokee Trail, soph. (forward); Nadia Morris, Eaglecrest, jr. (midfield); Allison Pacheco, Gateway, soph. (midfield); Chandler Patterson, Smoky Hill, jr. (midfield); Maggie Pearson, Smoky Hill, jr. (defense); Mary Perez, Rangeview, soph. (midfield); Jordan Quinn, Vista PEAK, soph. (forward); Sierra Rivera, Cherokee Trail, sr. (forward); Elena Rodriguez, Hinkley, soph. (midfield); Nevaeh Torres, Aurora Central, fr. (forward); Shanna Trott, Smoky Hill, jr. (forward); Princess Valdez Vega, Overland, sr. (defense); Rachel Vincent, Rangeview, jr.; Allie Zerr, Grandview, soph. (defense)