Arvada – If she doesn’t already, Marissa Ranberger should wear ballet slippers.
Through a mixture of hypnotizing grace and frantic athleticism, the Faith Christian junior forward danced through the Colorado Academy defense Friday night and scored both goals in a 2-0 victory in the Class 3A state semifinals.
The North Area Athletic Complex was Ranberger’s stage as she scored in the 39th and 46th minutes to propel the second-seeded Eagles into Monday’s state championship match against Metropolitan League rival – and defending champion – Denver Christian.
The Eagles (14-3) won their third straight game and registered their ninth shutout of the season, thanks largely to a 10-2 shot advantage.
Faith Christian dominated the midfield and used Ranberger’s speed to cue its counterattack.
“When we’ve been losing, it’s because of our midfield,” Faith Christian coach Will Lind said. “We haven’t been physical enough in there and winning the balls out of there. We did a great job of that tonight.
“That to me is a big part of the game. If you can win the midfield, then you can control.”
Third-seeded Colorado Academy (11-6-1), which was missing several players to sickness and forward Kellie Slater to a shoulder injury, seemed to collapse after Ranberger’s second goal six minutes after halftime.
“We overcame a lot to get to this point, and I’m proud of them,” Colorado Academy coach Owen Schreffler said. “I think Faith Christian deserved to win. They played great all over the field. One person didn’t beat us; it was their whole team.”
The Mustangs were riding an 11-game unbeaten streak since their previous loss, a 3-2 defeat against Faith Christian.
Ranberger scored just a minute before halftime with a run down the right side, where she beat defenders Julia Spencer and Jan Aragon with a variety of fakes and cutbacks before ripping a ball past Mustangs goalie Jessie Thalman.
Ranberger was in similar form for her second goal, starting with a diagonal run into the penalty area and a pass back to Sarah Jones. Jones’ shot was blocked, but Ranberger scooped the rebound and punched the ball into the net.
Colorado Academy 0 0 – 0
Faith Christian 1 1 – 2
Goals – Ranberger (unassisted), 39th minute; Ranberger (unassisted), 46th.
Shots on goal – Colorado Academy 1-1-2; Faith Christian 2-8-10. Saves – Colorado Academy (Thalman, Fox) 1-7-8; Faith Christian (Zevenbergen) 1-1-2. Offsides – Colorado Academy 1-0-1; Faith Christian 0-0-0. Corner kicks – Colorado Academy 2-1-3; Faith Christian 2-1-3. Fouls – Colorado Academy 0-2-2; Faith Christian 0-7-7. Yellow cards – None.
