Although there are no smokestacks to block your view of Pikes Peak, make no mistake – Liberty High School is a factory.
And the kids inside aren’t making soccer balls; they are doing beautiful things with them through camaraderie, school pride and skill.
It’s glue from the throwback days that binds the Colorado Springs-based Lancers. The boys squad has played in eight Class 4A state finals since 1990, and the girls have advanced to the quarterfinals in each of the past six seasons.
Much of that success has come under the watch of coach Mike Goyden, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and one of the most tireless promoters of the sport in the state.
“We really focus a lot on teamwork and team-building,” Goyden said. “It goes back to my academy days. Flying was always about teamwork. When you’re flying fighters and you’re on somebody’s wing in formation flying, your life depends on the other guy.
“I try to make teamwork the center of our focus. We’ll excel and do extraordinary things by playing as a team.”
The Lancers’ top-ranked boys squad is a great example. They went undefeated last season and won their fourth state title, their only bump along the way a 2-2 draw with Grandview, an eventual 5A finalist.
The Lancers face Grandview on Saturday buoyed by Tuesday’s 4-0 dismantling of Horizon, ranked No. 6 in 5A.
Tuesday’s victory was textbook Liberty. The Lancers attacked from the start and never relented for 80 minutes. Their passing was efficient and to all spots on the pitch. The midfield and defense moved in concert, facilitating the attack or swarming the opposition on defense.
The Lancers aren’t blessed with a roster of Olympic Development Program players or national prospects, but they probably have as much talent as any team in the state. According to all-state midfielder Mitch Lobdell, the Lancers’ extra boost comes from long-standing friendships and pride in the program.
“Representing your school is great,” Lobdell said.
Broomfield coach Jim Davidson, who led the Eagles to boys titles in 1999 and 2002, said Liberty’s players fight to uphold the team’s pedigree.
“It wasn’t just a team full of terrific technical players, it was a team that just had that history behind it,” Davidson said. “(Goyden) has them well-versed on the tradition and richness of the program.”
Goyden, who did software development with the Air Force after he found out he couldn’t sustain 6 G-forces as a pilot, coached club soccer in Colorado Springs during the early 1990s. He fine-tuned his coaching philosophy attending clinics hosted by legendary Creighton coach Bob Warming, who taught the value of sandwiching constructive criticism between positive reinforcement.
Along with the administrators at Liberty, Goyden puts a high value on education. His players are routinely honored for their academics.
Intertwining life, education and soccer is something Goyden experienced as a freshman on the 1971 Air Force team. Far from his hometown of Trenton, N.J., Goyden said soccer held him together.
“It’s what got me through the Academy that first year,” Goyden said. “We kind of supported each other because every day we wanted to quit.”
Goyden quit the team after an injury his junior year but played on the base and won the “Squadron 40” title as a player-coach.
“If you start out well, it makes a difference,” Goyden said. “I’ve been coaching ever since.”
Mike Goyden’s son, Chris Goyden, played for a state title team with the Lancers in 1996 before his father took over the program in 1998.
In his eight seasons at Liberty, only one player has made the Liberty boys varsity team a year after transferring from another school, Goyden said. Last year, nine of the Lancers’ 11 starters played on different club teams.
In addition to last season’s title, the Lancers won a state title in 2001 and were finalists in 2000 and 2002.
Colleges big and small are filled with Liberty graduates, including Conrad Taylor (Penn State), Daniel Wasson (Tulsa), Denver Post 2004 All-Colorado player of the year Mason Bragg and All-Colorado striker Joe Trainer (both at Indiana Wesleyan).
Four former Liberty standouts are captains of their respective college teams: Shannon Brooks (Yale), Matt Hayden (Cincinnati), Clay McGillivray (Air Force) and Jason Wiles (Barry University).
“I think when we were there, the big thing for us was living up to the standards that had been set by previous classes,” Brooks said Wednesday via telephone between classes at Yale, where he is majoring in applied math.
“It’s never been about individual performance or success,” Brooks said. “It’s always been about the team.”
