Arvada – The Golden Demons admittedly didn’t know a lot about playoff foe Battle Mountain from Minturn, except that their girls soccer teams were very similar.
Fortunately for Golden, only the Demons have sophomore Dale Ekberg.
Ekberg scored two goals and returned from an injury to set up the game-winner as the Demons advanced in the Class 4A state tournament Thursday with a 3-2 victory over Battle Mountain at the North Area Athletic Complex.
Seventh-seeded Golden (14-3), from the Jefferson County League, reached the quarterfinal round and will face the Greeley West-Pueblo South winner.
No. 10 seed Battle Mountain trailed 2-0 after 18 minutes but regrouped behind sophomore forward Kelsey Sanders, who scored in the 62nd minute to tie the game.
The Demons responded two minutes later behind the rejuvenated Ekberg. She got the ball deep down the left side and fired a pass across the goal for senior Hillary Chapple to slot home.
Ekberg had numerous chances to bag a hat trick and put the Huskies away, but Battle Mountain goalkeeper Alexis Guinn made six second-half saves.
“It would be nice to have, but it doesn’t really matter to me,” Ekberg said of that elusive third goal. “I just want our team to do well.”
Golden coach Fran Rainsford hopes her team improves its touch for the next round.
“We’ve been working on it,” she said.
Battle Mountain (14-3), which plays in the Western Slope League, lost for just the second time in 14 games.
Huskies coach David Cope said conceding the two early goals put his team on unfamiliar ground.
“It was strange, because we haven’t done that often this season,” Cope said. “I thought that after the second goal, we really started to play a little bit better.”
Sanders cut the deficit to 2-1 before halftime with a well-placed shot from a tight angle that beat Golden goalie Dana Garrett.
Guinn made several saves early in the second half to keep the Huskies alive and was bailed out by the crossbar on a header by Chapple in the 54th minute.
Sanders equalized just after the hour mark when she redirected a sharp pass from freshman Emily Lybarger.
Battle Mountain 1 1 – 2
Golden 2 1 – 3
Goals – G: Ekberg (unassisted), 8th minute; Ekberg (Leak), 18th; BM: Sanders (O’Neill), 29th; Sanders (Lybarger), 62nd; G: Chapple (Ekberg), 64th.
Shots on goal – Battle Mountain 3-3-6; Golden 2-7-9. Saves – Battle Mountain (Guinn) 0-6-6; Golden (Garrett) 2-2-4. Offsides – Battle Mountain 0-0-0; Golden 0-1-1. Corner kicks – Battle Mountain 0-2-2; Golden 2-5-7. Fouls – Battle Mountain 3-1-4; Golden 2-4-6.
