Colorado’s undisputed powerhouses in high school girls lacrosse will clash for state supremacy once again.
Reigning champion Cherry Creek (16-1-1) and rival Kent Denver (14-1-1) coasted to convincing semifinal victories Saturday at the Stutler Bowl, no doubt eyeing a rematch in Tuesday night’s championship game.
Cherry Creek ousted Denver East 20-5 in Saturday’s opener, then Kent took care of business by eliminating scrappy Arapahoe 15-9 in the second semifinal.
Here we go again. Cherry Creek has won five of the previous eight state championships. Four titles came against Kent Denver, which won state titles in 2002 and 2005, both at the expense of – you guessed it – Cherry Creek.
Cherry Creek has reached the championship match every year. This will be Kent’s seventh appearance in nine tries. CHSAA sanctioned girls lacrosse in 1999.
“The Creek vs. Kent series has always been kind of a crapshoot; you don’t know who is going to win,” Cherry Creek coach Cayel Dwyer said. “A lot of times it’s the unsung players that make a difference because all the star players know each other so well.”
Creek edged Kent 9-7 in last year’s finale.
“The rivalry has been a lot of fun,” Kent Denver coach Greg Courter said. “A lot of the kids on both teams play together on club teams. We’re really looking forward to getting another shot at them.”
Cherry Creek defeated Denver East 22-2 during the regular season and never trailed in the semifinal rematch. The Bruins, quicker and stronger to the ball, built a 16-3 lead by halftime. Creek maintained control by winning 20 of the 26 faceoffs.
“We were just on (our game) today. We played as a team,” said Cherry Creek’s McKenzie Brown, a sophomore midfielder who had three goals and an assist.
With crisp passes, Cherry Creek’s possessions moved quickly. Junior midfielder Lauren Johnson scored four goals.
Kent Denver defeated Arapahoe 18-5 during the regular season but had to work harder this time. Arapahoe scored three straight goals to take a 3-2 lead with 16:23 remaining in the first half.
“They were very aggressive and that took us off our game,” Courter said.
As if shifting into a higher gear after falling behind, Kent retaliated with seven straight goals to put the game out of reach. Junior midfielder Kara Secora led with four goals.
What kind of game should fans expect Tuesday night? Consider this: Cherry Creek and Kent Denver tied 12-12 during their only regular-season meeting. Both lost only to an out-of-state opponent.
East 3 2 – 5
Cherry Creek 16 4 – 20
Goals – CC: L. Johnson 4, Zimmerman 3, M. Brown 3, Keppler 2, Brentlinger 2, White 2, Anton 2, E. Hart, Tilton; E: Felber 2, Nelsen, Tuder, Gilbert.
Assists – CC: Zimmerman 3, Scholbe 3, Tilton 3, Brentlinger, E. Hart, Keppler, M. Brown, Anton; E: Felber, Gilbert.
Arapahoe 4 5 – 9
Kent Denver 10 5 – 15
Goals – KD: Secora 4, Stookesberry 3, Hopley 2, Vigil 2, Schovee 2, Cudahy, Meyer; A: Hosek 3, Ahbe 2, Birlson, Spring, Curtis, Gerhard.
Assists – KD: Meyer 3, Secora 3, Stookesberry 2, Cudahy, Hopley; A: Adelmann 3, Birlson.
