Cherry Hills Village – Being a backup goalie is good work if you can get it.
Sit and watch for 40 minutes, maybe warm up coming out of the locker room, just to stay loose. But when pressed into action with a 1-0 lead, you have the potential to be the hero or the goat.
Lindsay Dean was the hero for Kent Denver on Wednesday, making four saves in the second half against Peak to Peak. Her efforts preserved a 1-0 Metropolitan League victory for Kent Denver (3-3-1, 1-1) at Justin DeSorrento Memorial Field.
“I love the anxiety of the position,” said Dean, a sophomore who relieved starter Brianna Dix. “I put all my focus on the ball, and nothing but the ball. There’s nothing else that can bother me.”
Dean’s nerves were tested just three minutes into duty, when Pumas forward Heidi Chandler was awarded a penalty kick after the junior was shoved down in the box.
Dean didn’t have to do any work, though. Chandler missed the cage altogether, pushing the shot wide right.
“I felt really lucky,” Dean said.
Moments later, Dean stopped Kari Taylor’s breakaway try. But it was a save in the 55th minute on Chandler that put an exclamation point on her afternoon. Chandler controlled a corner kick inside the box, but Dean got a right hand on a ball destined for the back of the net.
“Our kids just need to learn how to play tough under pressure,” said Pumas coach Peter Chandler, who has three of his four quadruplet daughters on the team. “Who was that girl? I thought the first keeper wasn’t bad at all, and what are they doing making a change? A field player is going to keep them in the game, and she did.”
Dean robbed Chandler one more time, making a diving save with 2:25 to play to maintain the shutout.
Jess Lehigh scored the Sun Devils’ goal in the 25th minute, a textbook header off a Meg Murphy corner kick.
The Pumas are 3-3-1 overall and 1-2 in the league.
Peak to Peak 0 0 – 0
Kent Denver 1 0 – 1
Goal – Lehigh (Murphy), 25th minute.
Shots on goal – Peak to Peak 3-4 – 7; Kent Denver 3-2 – 5. Saves – Peak to Peak (Frantz) 2-2 – 4; Kent Denver (Dix, 40 minutes) 3-0 – 3; (Dean, 40 minutes) 0-4 – 4. Corner kicks – Peak to Peak 0-4 – 4; Kent Denver 3-1 – 4. Offsides – Peak to Peak 0-0 – 0; Kent Denver 0-0 – 0. Fouls – Peak to Peak 3-3 – 6; Kent Denver 5-4 – 9. Yellow cards – None.
