Weather granted Kent Denver an extra home game, and the Sun Devils protected their home turf Saturday with a 15-11 victory over Columbine.
After Friday night’s snow left Columbine’s field unplayable, Kent Denver and Lucy Dikeou pushed the score throughout the first half, taking advantage of a timid Columbine team.
“We have been working on how we start our game,” said Dikeou, who finished with five goals and two assists. “Today we executed by starting fast.”
Dikeou, a junior who is committed to Stanford, and sophomore Paige Ellis each scored three goals in Kent’s 9-2 run to open the game.
Columbine (10-4) had trouble containing Kent Denver’s attacks as the Rebels’ offense struggled with the fundamentals, missing passes and fumbling groundballs. Columbine coach Alise Steiner said that normally is uncharacteristic of her team.
“We were forcing too much,” Steiner said. “We struggle with fundamentals in the big game. Whenever we play Creek, Kent, usually we don’t struggle with that.”
Trailing 10-3 at halftime, Columbine produced a different offensive look in the second half, scoring three of the first four goals off Kent Denver fouls to pull within 11-6.
Columbine used smooth transitions and ball management, and seniors Olivia Leyshock, Jordan Dierkens and Christen Neugebauer put in three straight to close the gap to 13-9.
“We started using our whole team to pass it around the field to find the open man,” Steiner said. “The game doesn’t matter for league, so we used it as a learning experience.”
Paige Amme led the Rebels with five goals.
Columbine has one game left in the regular season, and Kent Denver (9-4) still has heavyweights Cherry Creek and Chaparral on its schedule before the playoffs. Dikeou knows that with major competition left in the season, wins are important.
“This win was really good for us,” she said. “It’s exciting to hold on to the win because we have a lot of big games coming up.”
Kent Denver 10 5 — 15
Columbine 3 8 — 11
Kent Denver (goals-assists) — Dikeou 5-2, Ellis 3-0, Schlegel 1-0, Chin 3-0, Strazza 2-0, Ossorio 1-0.
Columbine (goals-assists) — Neugebauer 3-0, Amme 5-0, Snow 0-1, Ellis 1-0, Leyshock 1-0, Dierkens 1-0.
Shots on goal — Kent Denver 22; Columbine 23. Saves — Kent Denver 6 (Haynes); Columbine 5 (Hofmann 4, Morrell 1).
