Last season, the Ralston Valley girls soccer team missed out on the Class 5A Jeffco League championship with a 2-1 overtime loss to Chatfield.
“That loss in overtime was brutal,” Ralston Valley junior Holly Engelking said of last year's loss to the Chargers. “Part of our pregame speech was we have to deal with them early on.”
The Mustangs got some revenge Tuesday night on a windy field at the North Area Athletic Complex. Ralston Valley won 3-1 and remains undefeated in conference play heading into what will likely be the biggest league game of the season.
“We're on a roll. They really want it,” Ralston Valley coach Kamee Morwood said of the Mustangs' 10-year drought since winning the league championship in 2013. “There is,” he said.
The Mustangs won six straight Jeffco 10 (4A Jeffco) girls soccer titles from 2002 to 2007, but only one league title since moving up to 5A more than a decade ago. is.
Ralston Valley (8-2-1, 3-0 league) will host Valor Christian (6-1-1, 3-0) at Highlands Ranch on Friday, April 19 at 8 p.m. A big showdown between 5A Jeffco is coming. The winner will be in the driver's seat for a conference title heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.
Last season, Valor and Ralston Valley tied 1-1 in overtime. The Eagles are betting on winning their third consecutive 5A Jeffco League title in 2023 with a conference record of 5-0-2.
“I’m really excited to be playing Valor,” Ralston Valley senior Laurie Gleason said of Friday’s Monster League game. “They're a really good team.”
Ralston Valley is on a roll with five straight wins and maintained a good atmosphere from the start against Chatfield. Engelking's direct free kick bounced into the top corner of the net 39 seconds into the game, giving the Mustangs a 1-0 lead.
“I've scored a few goals this season,'' Engelking said of the goal he scored with a free kick from near midfield early in the game. “I was hoping one of my teammates could touch it. It bounced big and went into the last nine. I actually hit it towards the front post and it went all the way to the far post.”
Gleason scored his 22nd and 23rd goals of the season in the second half to seal the victory. 5A's leading scorer took advantage of the wind to score back-to-back goals, pushing Ralston Valley's lead to 3-0.
The junior beat Chatfield goalie Allie Green in nearly the same spot with a hard shot that sailed inside the far post.
“I knew I had to give it my all,” Gleason said of the back-to-back goals with three minutes left in the second half. “I was trying to deliver it to that post in the back.”
Chatfield (3-6-1, 1-2) stopped the shutout with junior Harper Roser scoring the Chargers' only goal in the 78th minute. Chatfield will look to end its league losing streak at two when it faces Pomona (1-10, 0-3) on Friday night at Lakewood Memorial Field.
Dennis Pleus is the sports information director for Jeffco Public Schools. For more information about Jeffco, visit CHSAANow.com.
