LAKEWOOD — Jesse Batteli shined Tuesday night in spite of the growing shiner over her left eye.
“My body hurts,” the D’Evelyn junior midfielder said, grinning. “That was one of the most physical games I think I’ve played in.”
Batteli was a magnet for rough stuff against rival Golden and was one of many players on both sides who took their lumps and kept up with the furious pace. But when Batteli was knocked to the ground by Demons goalkeeper Kaila Sutter in the second overtime, she was awarded a penalty kick and a chance to throw the last punch.
Knockout.
Batteli ripped the spot kick home and sent the Jaguars into raptures as they floored the No. 2 Demons for a 2-1 Class 4A Jefferson County League victory at Lakewood Memorial Field.
The Jaguars (6-2, 3-0 Jeffco) got a goal in the 11th minute from speedy striker Krystal Pittman and were the more dangerous team in the first half before the Demons (6-2, 2-1) regrouped. Megan Bartley tied the game four minutes into the second half with a pretty, 23-yard free kick, but the Demons could not break through for the winner.
Both teams seemed to be tiring in the overtime when the ball bounced into the penalty area for Sutter to corral. The senior cradled the ball and gave a little shoulder to Batteli, sending her to the grass and the referee’s assistant rushing over to point to the spot.
“I had to go for it,” Batteli said of pressuring the ball. “It was a crucial moment, and the call went our way.”
It was an unexpected finish to an up-and-down game that had plenty of extra emotion and effort behind every challenge and tackle. It wasn’t dirty, but close.
“We had to win everything in the midfield tonight because the game was going to be won in the midfield,” Jaguars coach Paul Moline said. “You know what? I think Jesse kind of did a lot.”
With injuries to the regulars around her, Batteli was the main conduit between the Jaguars’ compressed defense and their forwards, who were prowling up top looking for a long ball or to pressure Golden’s rear guard.
The Demons dominated the second half but the best scoring chance after Bartley’s equalizer fell to D’Evelyn’s Janelle Morgan in the 69th minute.
“It just wasn’t our day,” Demons coach Bill Hillen said. “We played well in the second half. We moved the ball well, and we just didn’t put it away. You have bad days, and you have good days.”
Golden 0 1 0 0 — 1
D’Evelyn 1 0 0 1 — 2
Goals — D: Pittman (unassisted), 11th minute; G: Bartley (free kick) 44th; D: Batteli (penalty kick) 87th. Shots on goal — Golden 0-2-0-0—2; D’Evelyn 2-0-0-1—3. Saves — Golden (Sutter) 1-0-0-0—1; D’Evelyn (Pogue) 0-1-0-0—1. Offsides — Golden 1-0-0-0—1; D’Evelyn 2-1-0-0—3. Corner kicks — Golden 2-5-1-0—8; D’Evelyn 2-0-0-0—2. Fouls — Golden 5-5-0-1—11; D’Evelyn 6-6-1-0—13. Yellow card — Nye, G, 59th minute.
