LAKEWOOD — The Wheat Ridge girls soccer team understands it always will boast a weapon most teams can’t match thanks to the skills of senior forward Annie Kunz.
Yet it is the production of Kunz’s fellow attackers that might prove to be the key in the Farmers’ bid for a third consecutive Class 4A state championship.
One of those players, junior Brooke Livingston, delivered a crucial score Wednesday, breaking open a scoreless game with her second goal of the season as the top-ranked Farmers recorded a 2-0 victory against D’Evelyn in the 4A Jeffco League opener for both teams.
“Everybody knows about Annie and there is no secret there, so we need the girls around her to step up,” Wheat Ridge coach Dan Watkins said. “What we are trying to do is get everyone involved. Last year we had a lot of girls score goals, and I think it has just taken us a few games to kind of get a rhythm. But we do need other girls to step up, which will free (Kunz).”
Despite controlling the action throughout the first half, Wheat Ridge (4-0) found itself in a dangerous scoreless draw against a D’Evelyn team that was receiving a dogged defensive effort by Kira Kaulkus against Kunz, the reigning Colorado player of the year.
Livingston broke the tie in the 51st minute, taking a pass from Blake Warner and beating Jaguars goalie Summer Elliot, who turned in a solid nine-save performance against the relentless Wheat Ridge assault.
Once the Jaguars extended their position in hopes of netting an equalizer, Kunz finally found enough free space to pad the Farmers’ lead, scoring her fourth goal of the season with 1:55 remaining.
“They were playing really hard on (Kunz) man-to-man marking,” Livingston said. “Our coach told us to have Annie hang out and distract them so others of us could get in and score. That’s what we ended up doing.”
Wheat Ridge 0 2 — 2
D’Evelyn 0 0 — 0
Goals — Livingston, WR (Warner), 51st minute; Kunz, WR (unassisted), 78th minute. Shots on goal — WR, 5-6—1; D, 0-1—1. Saves — WR (Van Wetter 1); D (Elliot 9). Corner kicks — WR, 3-3—6; D, 1-1—2. Fouls — WR, 3-3—6; D, 5-6—11. Yellow cards — D, Kaulkus.
