ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Kate Russell scored in the 44th minute Tuesday night to lead Silver Creek to the girls Class 4A state championship with a 1-0 victory over Niwot at Englewood High School.
With the win, top-seeded Silver Creek (19-0-1), from Longmont, won its second state championship in school history. The first occurred Saturday, when the boys swimming team claimed a crown.
Russell, who will play at the University of Colorado next year, had threatened to score on several occasions before executing a laser shot from about 20 yards away.
She beat five defenders on the play, shooting from the right corner of the box, past Niwot keeper Alexis Zumwalt.
Niwot (13-3-4), the No. 11 seed, played in its defensive end for most of the game, generating just two shots on goal. The Cougars never managed a real scoring opportunity.
Silver Creek, which beat Niwot 1-0 on April 19, had 10 shots on goal and three corner kicks.
Niwot had not allowed a goal since its loss to Silver Creek last month, a string of nine games.
There was no score at the end of the first half thanks to Niwot’s stellar defensive play.
Russell had Silver Creek’s best scoring opportunity in the 22nd minute when the senior midfielder shot from about 40 yards out.
It appeared the ball would drop behind Zumwalt, but the Niwot keeper timed her jump perfectly and knocked it away.
Niwot had just two corner kicks in the game, both coming in the final minutes. On its final try, Niwot attempted a header that bounced high over the cross bar.
Silver Creek ended its undefeated season by outscoring its opponents 20-1 in the playoffs.
Niwot also had an impressive performance in the playoffs, beating the No. 6, No. 3 and No. 2 seeds, respectively, to get into the final.
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