Littleton – Cherry Creek had a tough time figuring out what Arapahoe’s Keegen Bast was thinking Saturday night.
Where was Bast going to shoot? Was he going to shoot at all?
Bast answered those questions his own way, scoring twice as the Warriors routed the Bruins 4-2 in the title match of the eight-team Warrior Kickoff Classic at Littleton Public Schools Stadium.
Bast’s 19-yard free kick in the 21st minute helped the Warriors (3-0), ranked No. 1 in The Denver Post/9News Class 5A poll, jump out to a 2-0 lead. His goal in the 78th minute slammed the door on the third-ranked Bruins, who had cut the deficit to 3-2 just 17 seconds earlier on a goal by Connor Hutchinson.
In both cases, Bast seemed to catch the Bruins (2-2) by surprise. In the 78th minute, Bast decided to shoot after the Cherry Creek defense parted like the Red Sea in anticipation of a pass. On his free kick goal, Bast shot to his right, around the Cherry Creek wall rather than over it.
“I was thinking about bending it over the wall and then I figured that was what (goalie Daniel Alexander) was thinking I was going to do, so I just passed it in where I saw the opening,” Bast said.
Defender Gary Cole opened the scoring for the Warriors with a glancing header and midfielder Conner Talbert bagged the game-winner in the 56th minute when he slammed home a loose ball from the top of the penalty area.
The visiting Bruins set the up-and-down tone early only to see their promising start shattered by mistakes and Arapahoe’s counterattack.
Midfielder Kenji Goldman was especially effective for the Bruins as the game wore on. After Arapahoe goalie Daniel Sidder knocked down Robert Derschang in the penalty area, Goldman converted the penalty kick in the 50th minute to cut the deficit to 2-1.
“I worried about that, but I was very glad we had a two-goal lead because I knew eventually they were going to put something together,” Warriors coach Mark Hampshire said of the Bruins’ midfield play.
But the Warriors momentum was clipped six minutes later when Talbert made it 3-1.
“Anytime you give away sloppy goals like we did, it’s bound to come back and haunt you, and it did,” Bruins coach Chelo Curi said. “All four goals were very sloppy.”
Cherry Creek 0 2 – 2
Arapahoe 2 2 – 4
Goals – A: Cole (Carry), 8th minute; Bast (free kick), 21st; CC: Goldman (penalty kick), 50th; A: Talbert (unassisted), 56th; CC: Hutchinson (LaCouture), 78th; A: Bast (unassisted), 78th.
Shots on goal – Cherry Creek 0-3 – 3; Arapahoe 5-3 – 8. Saves – Cherry Creek (Alexander 40 minutes, Wolf 40) 3-1 – 4; Arapahoe (Sidder) 0-1 – 1. Offsides – Cherry Creek 1-0 – 1; Arapahoe 0-0 – 0. Corner kicks – Cherry Creek 1-4 – 5; Arapahoe 3-0 – 3. Fouls – Cherry Creek 10-8 – 18; Arapahoe 10-10 – 20. Yellow cards – Feehs, A, 42nd minute; Derschang, CC, 50th.
