LAKEWOOD — A league title wasn’t decided Wednesday afternoon, but Chatfield took control in Jeffco play as the Chargers erupted for three goals in a four-minute span at Lakewood Memorial Field in a 3-0 Class 5A victory over Green Mountain.
“We came out strong and kept the game under control,” said Chatfield midfielder Billy LaGreca, who scored his team’s first goal.
LaGreca powered home a free kick from 26 yards out before Dylan Hall and Conrad Bess scored to give the Chargers (7-2-1, 4-0-0) some separation in the league standings. Chatfield, which notched its sixth shutout of the season, extended its unbeaten streak to seven games and has outscored its Jeffco counterparts 11-0 in four games.
“We know we had six league games and we need to win all of them to get the best seed for the playoffs,” Bess said.
The Rams (6-2-1, 2-1-1) were organized out of the gates behind the presence of senior goalkeeper Riley Zelus, and got a great block by defender Everette Simmons on Cory Whitt-wer’s shot in the fourth minute. But the Chargers eventually broke through and the Rams were always a step or pass away from answering at the other end.
“We weren’t prepared for what they brought at us,” Zelus said. “When one went in, we held our heads down for too long. Then the second went in. We just lost focus for those five minutes.”
LaGreca broke the deadlock in the 21st minute. The senior spotted a gap on the right side and drilled a belt-high shot through the Rams’ wall and inside the right post.
The Rams pressed after the restart, but Hall took the clearance out of the defensive end and raced down the left side of the field. The senior shouldered past defender John Brenner and cut a shot back under an onrushing Zelus.
Bess made it 3-0 in the 25th minute to finish off a sustained possession. The ball was flicked into the penalty area, where Whittwer touched it over for Bess to finish from 10 yards out.
Green Mountain 0 0 — 0
Chatfield 3 0 — 3
Goals — LaGreca (free kick), 21st minute; Hall (unassisted), 23rd; Bess (Whittwer), 25th.
Shots on goal — Green Mountain 1-1 — 2; Chatfield 3-3 — 6. Saves — Green Mountain (Zelus) 0-3 — 3; Chatfield (Sarfaty 72 minutes, Anderson 8) 1-1 — 2. Offside — Green Mountain 0-0 — 0; Chatfield 2-1 — 3. Corner kicks — Green Mountain 1-2 — 3; Chatfield 2-0 — 2. Fouls — Green Mountain 7-5 — 12; Chatfield 9-8 — 17. Yellow card — Ridings, GM, 55th minute.
