Fort Collins – For eight years, the gold standard of girls soccer in Fort Collins has been the Lambkins.
And just when it looked as though Rocky Mountain may have been ready to take a bite of its first league championship since sharing it with Fort Collins in 2001, Tuesday night happens.
The Lambkins (12-1-1, 6-0-1), ranked No. 6 in The Denver Post poll, dominated their crosstown rivals 5-0 at J. Ray French Field and can clinch the Front Range League title Thursday against Horizon.
The game was called with 5:59 left on the clock after Fort Collins’ Olivia Deadmond was taken off the field via ambulance for precautionary reasons. Deadmond was battling Rocky’s Tkale Johnson for a loose ball and went headfirst into the turf.
“We want to set the standard for Fort Collins soccer, and we took it upon ourselves to prove that tonight,” said Fort Collins coach Jason Odorizzi, who guided the Lambkins boys to a state championship in the fall. “We moved a third forward up top, and this is the third or fourth game we’ve done that, and we’ve just had so much more offense.
“Our goal was to score in the first five minutes of the game, and we came out and did it.”
Senior Tara Bailey, who earlier this season had a throw-in goal against Boulder, did it again. With the wind slightly at her back, Bailey’s toss went right at Lobos goalie Kate Hampson, who was camped out at the near post. One hop and a bounce off Hampson’s leg later, it was in the back of the net.
“However you can get it in, it’s a goal,” the Creighton-bound Bailey said. “It still counts.”
Said Rocky Mountain coach Cheryl Ingham: “We knew Tara Bailey’s throws were dangerous. She’s a senior, we’ve known it for four years. Those are more dangerous than corner kicks.”
Bailey almost did it again in the 26th minute, but Hampson got a hand on it and was able to punch it over the bar.
Fort Collins took a 2-0 halftime lead after Amber Ray headed home a shot past Hampson.
“A rivalry game, you can’t even bet on who’s going to win,” Bailey said. “We played awesome tonight, and that was it. We flat-out played awesome.”
Rocky’s backup keeper, Kaily Hoffman, didn’t fare much better. The Lambkins, who have beaten Rocky twice by a combined 8-0 margin, got second-half goals from Emmalie Pfankuch, Randi Lucero-Wilson and Taylor Hall.
The Lobos (11-2-1, 7-1-0), ranked No. 5, created a few chances but never got a shot off against keeper Liz Orton.
Rocky Mountain 0 0 – 0
Fort Collins 2 3 – 5
(Note: Game called with 5:59 to play)
Goals – Bailey (unassisted) 5th minute; Ray (Demrow), 34th; Pfankuch (Caldwell), 50th; Lucero-Wilson (Barstow), 52nd; Hall (Davidson), 63rd.
Shots on goal – Rocky Mountain 0-0 – 0; Fort Collins 5-5 – 10. Saves – Rocky Mountain (Hampson, 40 min.) 3-0 – 3, (Hoffman, 35 min.) 0-2 – 2. Corner kicks – Rocky Mountain 0-0 – Fort Collins 2-0 – 2. Offsides – Rocky Mountain 3-2 – 5; Fort Collins 2-3 – 5.
Jon E. Yunt can be reached at 303-820-5446 or jyunt@denverpost.com.
