ARVADA — This past month hasn’t been easy for Taylor McGregor.
But the Golden junior and daughter of the late Rockies president Keli McGregor has found a tiny bit of peace and solace on the soccer field.
“Mentally, on the soccer field is where I am the most with it,” she said. “I know that my dad is out here with me on this field, and I have a great support system with this team.”
Donning No. 88 in memory of her father and clad in purple tape, McGregor continued the Demons’ season Saturday, scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 Class 4A second-round victory over Pueblo South at the NAAC.
“It felt great,” said McGregor, who was dog-piled by her teammates after the final whistle. “It was absolutely the best feeling, and I knew my dad was with me.”
In Wednesday’s quarterfinals, Golden (15-3-1), seeded No. 7, will play Valor Christian, which beat Castle View 2-0.
Midway through the second half of what turned out to be a physical midfield match, McGregor was hit with a yellow card and sent off the field. Still upset about the call, McGregor got to the bench, where coach Bill Hillen emphatically told her to “Shut up, just shut up! We need you in this game.”
“We could have lost her there,” Hillen said. “But she was there when we needed her.”
The Demons finally found their offensive rhythm in the final 30 minutes, and with time ticking down, they converted on a set piece. A short corner from Nicholette DiGiacomo to Kailey Osbaugh was sent to McGregor, who finished with a header in a crowd.
“Sometimes in sports, you get a little distracted, but he knew that we needed all of us, and it’s not just one individual that we can’t have on this team,” McGregor said. “I was just the one that got brought out, and he had to tell me to shut up.”
Said Colts coach Francesco Miceli, whose team finished at 15-2: “They did a better job of taking advantage of their opportunities. And it’s fitting that McGregor capitalizes on the goal for them to put them where they need to be after the loss of her father.”
Pueblo South 0 0 — 0
Golden 0 1 — 1
Goal — McGregor (Osbaugh), 78th minute.
Shots on goal — Pueblo South 3-1 — 4; Golden 3-6 — 9. Saves — Pueblo South (Mo. Richardson) 3-5 — 8; Golden 3-1 — 4. Offside — Pueblo South 0-1 — 1; Golden 1-3 — 4. Corner kicks — Pueblo South 3-2 — 5; Golden 3-4 — 7. Fouls — Pueblo South 7-6 — 13; Golden 4-2 — 6. Yellow cards — Pueblo South Coach Miceli, 42nd; McGregor, G, 66th.
Jon E. Yunt: 303-954-1354 or jyunt@denverpost.com
