CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE — Alyssa Vigil’s warm-up T-shirt should have been a warning.
Sporting a vintage 1983 Iron Maiden “The Trooper” shirt that she got from a box in her parents’ room, Vigil, a senior at Kent Denver, was exactly that — OK, a trouper — in a 19-7 first-round playoff victory Thursday over Colorado Academy.
“Our offense pulled the ball out, settled it down and took harder shots,” Vigil said of the Sun Devils’ plan. “Our defense definitely stepped up all over the field. We were doubling in the midfield and having transition passes. We were just all over the field.”
Vigil led the third-seeded Kent Denver girls lacrosse team with five goals and four assists, and goalie Melissa Julia made 19 saves Thursday in a 19-7 first-round playoff game victory over No. 14 Mullen at Justin DeSorrento Memorial Field.
The Sun Devils (14-2) opened up an early 4-0 lead and only once allowed the Mustangs (7-7-1) to pull within three goals. The Sun Devils were more clinical in their finishing, smoother in their transition passing and grew increasingly stingy as the game wore on.
“I love big games. They’re a lot of fun,” said Julia, whose ability to stymie the Mustangs early in the second half turned everything in the Sun Devils’ favor and earned her the game ball afterward.
“I’m normally like, really freaking out, and kind of like bouncing around there,” Julia said. “They just reeled me in and helped me with that.”
Chelsea Ammons scored three goals and dished two assists, Hannah Scott had two goals and two assists, while Molly Coates and Mara Miller bagged two goals apiece for the Sun Devils.
The Mustangs trailed 9-4 at halftime and seemed to have the emotional push to start the second half. Julia, however, stopped seven of the first eight shots she faced as the Sun Devils stretched their lead to 14-5 with 12:06 remaining.
“I think their offense, they planned to attack our defense the way that they needed,” said Isabel Gary, who led the Mustangs with two goals and two assists. “They know our goalie (Megan McGinnis) and they knew how to move it around her. I think they tried to work us in the midfield (because) we have a small team.”
The Mustangs outshot the Sun Devils 16-13 in the second half but were outscored 10-3.
Colorado Academy … 4—3 — 7
Kent Denver … 9—10 — 19
Goals — CA: Gary 2, Peterson, Gallagher, Flanigan, Florence, Wimpee; KD: Vigil 5, Ammons 3, Scott 2, Coates 2, Miller 2, Burke, Dikeou, Mirr, Erzinger, Clark.
Assists — CA: Gary 2; KD: Vigil 4, Ammons 2, Scott 2, Burke, Dikeou, Galansky, Clark.
Saves — CA: McGinnis 10; KD: Julia 19.
