Austin Colbert/Aspen Times
No matter how strong the wind was blowing, Jaycee Reed wasn't going to make another mistake.
Given another chance late in Thursday's breezy girls soccer game against Aspen, the Basalt High School senior hit a key blow to defeat the Longhorns, 3-2, over their rivals at BHS Field.
“We deserved the win. We were outscoring our opponents and really wanted to get the last goal,” she said. “I knew the wind was going to carry the ball, so I thought, 'Maybe I can take a shot from here.'” I had been kicking (the goal) all game, but this time it was a little lower. I tried the position and it worked. ”
Reed's goal came just 5 1/2 minutes into regulation, and just four minutes after a disputed penalty, AHS senior Alika Bassi scored her second goal of the game, tying the game at 2-2. . Less than 10 minutes left.
But superstars like Reed tend to take control late in a match, and that's exactly what she did against Skier. Her winner was born just 24 hours after signing her national letter of intent in a small on-campus ceremony to play soccer and track at Concordia University in Wisconsin, which competes at the NCAA Division III level.
“Jaycee has unparalleled athletic ability. She's a freak of nature. And I think just about everyone in this valley knows that and sees that. She's a threat in any sport. ,” said third-year BHS girls soccer coach Molly Demmer.
“I will really miss her when she goes next year, but I couldn't be more grateful to have worked with her over the past three years. She has been amazing. She has been a leader. She stepped up. She led by example and worked through the winter with a soccer ball at her feet.”
Reed isn't considered by many to be one of the best high school athletes in the Roaring Fork Valley just for her soccer skills, but because she's great at everything she does. She is an elite downhill mountain biker, recently competed in national hockey with the Colorado Club, and is one of the state's top sprinters (and high jumpers) on the BHS track and field team.
At Concordia, she said she plans to stick to “just” two sports: soccer and track and field, with competitive mountain biking and hockey likely behind her.
A big reason Reed wanted to go to Division III was the opportunity to play multiple sports in college, a feat difficult to manage in the upper divisions.
“I’m really looking forward to going to play, and having the two sports in different seasons allows me to focus on one sport at a time,” she said. “Mountain biking has become a hobby for me now. Hockey, unfortunately, I won't be playing for a while. But I ended my career with great success at national championships. It's been a big part of my career and I'm sad to see it end, but I'm moving on to the next chapter.”
Reed said she plans to study biomedical science with the goal of one day becoming an assistant to an orthopedic surgeon and ideally working with athletes.
Longhorns big win
Reed's late-game heroics against Aspen on Thursday could potentially be huge for the Longhorns, who are on the postseason bubble. With this victory, Basalt has won its third straight game, with a total of 4 wins and 6 losses, and a league record of 2 wins and 1 loss. This was the only regular season matchup between Basalt and Aspen.
After a 6-1 loss to Roaring Fork on April 9, BHS won 5-0 against the Rifles, followed by a 3-2 win against Middle Park on Monday and then a 3-2 win against the Skiers. But we won and ended our losing streak.
“Against Rifle, the moment clicked. They saw it. They felt it,” DeMar said of a young team that regularly has five freshmen starting on varsity. talked about. “To be able to have that kind of dynamic and not just a one-point player — and of course one of our point players scored the final goal — it’s really great. They're gaining confidence. They're getting into a groove.”
The freshmen showed great improvement early against Aspen, with Teia Fryer giving BHS a 1-0 lead with 11:35 left in the first half, and Elysia Guironta making it 2-1 at halftime. Bassi scored the first goal at 6:30, briefly making it 1-1.
The 2-1 halftime score remained until late in the second half, with Bassi leveling the score with less than 10 minutes remaining. And Reed essentially ended the match with her winner a few minutes later.
“It was huge,” DeMar said of the win, noting that Reed is just finding his footing after missing four games earlier this season while with the Hockey Nationals. “We definitely missed her. I think it took her a little while to get her groove back and I think she realized that last week.”
Basalt will be off until Tuesday when it plays current 3A No. 10 Roaring Fork in Carbondale. The Rams (5-3-1) will play their first game Friday at Manitou Springs.
Aspen continues to hunt
For the Skiers, Thursday's loss drops them to 3-6-1 overall and 2-2 in league play.
“We were able to get back into the game well in the second half,” AHS coach Chris Ellis said. “This Basalt vs. Aspen (rivalry) is always a competitive game, so it's always a lot of fun for the crowd, and as a player it's fun to have that intensity and rivalry.”
Aspen has a solid shot at making the playoffs, but will need a few more wins in its final five games to qualify. The Skiers' next game is Tuesday against No. 6 Delta.
“You have to stay in every game. These are tense issues. This was no exception,” Ellis said. “Next week we have another challenging game on the road against Delta, who are having a great season. We have to take each game as it comes, come up with the best plan we can and try to execute that plan. It must be done.”
acolbert@aspentimes.com
