Bertudo sophomore Lydia Okuriyama practices with the team Tuesday at Max Marr Stadium. (Nathan Wright/Loveland Herald reporter)
It's been so many years since the Berthoud women's soccer team made the playoffs or had a winning record that even the current coaching staff isn't entirely sure the last time they were in that position. .
A banner in the school's gymnasium shows the team qualified for the postseason in 2006, and if that's the last time, it means the program is nearing a 20-year playoff drought. become.
But with four games remaining in the regular season, the Spartans' recent performance puts them in position to end that drought and make history with a winning record and a spot in the 32-team Class 3A playoff field. It is in.
As of Wednesday's games played around the state, the Spartans were 5-1-2 in their last eight games, 5-4-2 overall and ranked 23rd in the CHSAA selection and seeding index. It had been. The top 32 teams at the end of the regular season will advance to the playoffs.
“It would be huge for us if we could get that,” Bertudo's second-year head coach Dylan Owens said. “It's definitely something we're all thinking about and working toward, but I'm humbled by the fact that just being able to come here and have the conversation is really great. We're already It makes you stop and capture the essence of what has been a lot of success.”
After three straight losses to start this season (against 4A top-10 Thompson Valley, 5A Loveland and league foe Longmont), the Spartans are starting to see more positives than negatives.
They drew 0-0 with Frontier Academy and got their first win of the season against Sterling. Their only loss of the year was against Timnath, but they haven't lost since then, capping off a 4-0-1 record with a 10-0 win at Estes Park on Monday.
The players attribute their success after dropping their first three games to several factors.
“It gave us more confidence and I think we all wanted more of it,” Bertudo junior Megan Hidalgo said. “I would like to see more change.”
“I think we worked on a lot of technical things and I think that really helped us because we were able to start connecting passes and things like that,” sophomore Emily Rogers said. ” he added.
This year's team has been led offensively by juniors Gwynne Marks and Lily Dodd, and sophomore Lydia Okuriyama. Against Estes Park, Marks and Okuriyama combined for five of the team's 10 goals.
Another big reason for the team's success is junior goaltender Abi Speer. Speer, a state qualifying wrestler, made 130 saves in the team's first nine games, ranking in the top 10 in the state and in the top five in 3A in that category.
This season's success dates back to last season when Owens took over the program, which went 1-14 in 2022. He led the team to a 5-10 record in his first season. While it may not show up on the scoreboard or the team's win total, progress is being made and the foundations for success are being laid.
The team entered the offseason determined to be better this season after back-to-back losses to Mountain View and Greeley Central. The team built on last season's improvements and got even better this season through 11 games.
“(Last year) we got some results, so it started little by little,” Marks said. “But I think as a team and with Owens we've just been building that, and I think we're a pretty close-knit team, so I think we've worked hard to build confidence and trust.” How we play. ”
The Spartans' Final Four game will be Thursday at home against a Liberty Common team that currently ranks second in the 3A/2A Patriot League. To close out the regular season next week, they play at Weld Central on Monday, at home against Mountain View on Thursday and at Greeley Central on Friday.
They finished last season with 1 win and 3 losses against those teams. If he converts only one of them into a win and he goes at least 2-2, he has a strong chance of winning the season and advancing to the playoffs.
“I think if we continue to play the way we've been playing, continue to work hard, continue to communicate, continue to do all those things, we have a chance. If we continue to win, we deserve it,” Okuriyama said. “I think as long as you stay confident and believe that you can do it, you have a chance.”
Another benefit for the team going forward is that they only have one senior on their roster, and she hasn't been able to play due to a basketball injury. The majority of the team is made up of second and third year students.
Owens will have his entire lineup back next season, which fits right into his process of building the program into a winner.
“Our lineup will be the same next year, and I think that's exciting for Bertudo, the girls, and the community,” Owens said. “The whole group will be back and everyone will gain invaluable experience. We go into our third season with a little more focus and hope we continue to have success.”
But first, the Spartans want to make history this season.
