Fort Collins – Webster’s defines “instinct” as a strong impulse or motivation as well as a natural talent.
Somebody had better get Noah on the horn and see what he can do about getting Caylee Winters’ picture next to that definition.
The reigning All-Colorado goalie from Chatfield was at her best when it mattered the most Wednesday in a rematch of the 2004 state-title game at Fossil Ridge High School. Winters stopped the first three Fort Collins penalty kicks in the shootout and then watched her teammates make three in a row on Lambkins keeper Liz Orton to send the defending Class 5A champion Chargers to the semifinals with a 3-1 victory in penalty kicks.
Chatfield (16-1-1) will play Mountain Vista (14-3-1), one of three Continental League teams remaining, Saturday in the semifinals at Legacy Stadium.
“As far as Caylee Winters goes, you need a goalkeeper like that to get you through the playoffs,” first-year Chatfield coach Brock Blume said. “There was no question she would come up big. Hopefully, we can come up big for her in the next two games.”
The Chargers, seeded fifth, broke a scoreless tie in the 63rd minute. University of Arizona- bound Gianna DeSaverio, who scored eight goals in the Chargers’ past two playoff games, got ahead of the Lambkins defense and ran directly onto a perfect cross from Annabel Allen before scoring inside the near post.
It looked as though the game may end with the same 1-0 score that last year’s title game did, until Fort Collins (16-2) scored the equalizer in the waning moments. Emmalie Pfankuch shook off a defender inside the box and sneaked a shot under Winters.
“We just kept switching our forwards in and out and just tried to generate offense by putting fresh legs in,” Fort Collins coach Jason Odorizzi said.
In the shootout, both goalies had their offense counterparts miffed from the get-go. Winters made the first save against Allison Denney diving low right. Orton then immediately turned around and denied Michaela Thormod high left.
But the Lambkins didn’t learn. Their next two shooters, Randi Lucero-Wilson and Rachael Barstow went to the same spot as Denney, and Winters came up big each time. Alex Cousins netted the only shot from the dot for the Lambkins.
“You can look at a lot of things, but you look at their eyes, and usually they look the opposite way they are going,” said Winters, who will play in college at Samford. “The good ones usually don’t even look at you, that is why Alex Cousins, on the score, I had no idea what she was doing.”
Katie Oates, Nicole DeLue and Corey Thieman scored on the Chargers’ next three attempts.
Chatfield 0 1 0 0 – 1 (3)
Fort Collins 0 1 0 0 – 1 (1)
Goals – C: DeSaverio (Allen), 63rd minute; FC: Pfankuch (Demrow), 80th.
Shootout goals – C: Oates, DeLue, Thieman; FC: Cousins.
Shots on goal – Chatfield 2-8-0-2 – 12; Fort Collins 3-2-0-0 – 5. Saves – Chatfield (Winters) 3-1-0-0 – 4; Fort Collins (Orton) 2-7-0-2 – 11. Corner kicks – Chatfield 2-2-0-0 – 4; Fort Collins 2-0-0-0 – 2. Offsides – Chatfield 0-0-0-0 – 0; Fort Collins 1-1-0-0 – 2. Fouls – Chatfield 6-4-0-0 – 10; Fort Collins 4-6-0-7 – 17.
