The bruise above Allison Mast’s kneecap will heal soon enough.
It’s not the first bruise, bump or battered body part for Mast, a three-year captain on Golden’s field hockey team, and she knows how to shrug off the pain associated with being a goalkeeper who gets peppered by shots every time she takes the field.
“I always seem to get hit where there’s no padding,” Mast said. “And when you get hit where there’s no padding, it hurts really bad. Sometimes I don’t know why I do it other than it’s really fun.”
Call her a glutton for punishment, but don’t question her skills. Mast is the undisputed leader for the Demons, a fourth-year program that is trying to claw up to the elite level where schools such as Kent Denver, Cherry Creek and Colorado Academy reside. If not for Mast’s quick reflexes in front of the net, Golden probably wouldn’t be able to stay within 15 goals of those teams.
“There were a lot of games where the score could have been a lot worse if she wasn’t in goal,” Golden coach Devon Holcomb said. “She’ll take on any shot, and she is not afraid of the ball by any means.”
The season starts today for the 15 prep teams across the state, and the championship game will be played Oct. 30.
If the past two seasons are an indicator, Mast will see plenty of shots fired her way during this, her senior year. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“We’ve gotten so much better each year,” Mast said. “It’s really surprising to see ourselves at the end of each season. I think we’ll be able to hold our own against some of the higher-ranked schools.”
The highest-ranked school is Kent Denver, which has won six state titles, including the past three, since the sport was first sanctioned for high school play in 1997. Cherry Creek (2002), Smoky Hill (1999) and Colorado Academy (1997) are the only other programs to win the trophy. Those four schools, along with the likes of St. Mary’s Academy and East, will be contenders again.
But if Mast and the rest of the Demons have their way, Golden will be in the hunt.
“When we play teams like Creek, Kent or CA, I’m just going left and right,” Mast said. “I never know when the shot is going to go off. But I try to stay strong for my team. If I lose my temper sometimes, they know it’s just the heat.”
Field hockey
Top teams
1. Kent Denver; 2. Cherry Creek; 3. Colorado Academy; 4. Smoky Hill; 5. East
Players to watch
Zan Beczkalo, East, Sr.; Logan Brown, Colorado Academy, Sr.; Natalie Duffy, St. Mary’s Academy, Sr.; Jamie Hamilton, Golden, Sr.; Nellie Hayes, East, Sr.; Kelly Hopley, Kent Denver, Sr.; Allison Mast, Golden, Sr.; Greta Meyer, Kent Denver, Sr.; Morgan Miller, Colorado Academy, Sr.; Heather Newell, Grandview, Sr.; Stephanie Pepper, Cherry Creek, Jr.; Abbie Perizzolo, Smoky Hill, Sr.; Molly Pomeroy, Cherry Creek, Sr.; Abby Rimel, Smoky Hill, Sr.; Amie Romero, Eaglecrest, Sr.; Elizabeth Schovey, Kent Denver, Sr.; Catie Tilton, Cherry Creek, Sr.; Kelsey Traynor, St. Mary’s Academy, Sr.; Rachael Zimmerman, Cherry Creek, Sr.
