Claire Wright dashed a diagonal through the 12-meter fan in front of net to grab a Henley Hall pass early in a Colorado semifinal game Saturday at Barton Stadium
It netted a nifty Colorado Academy goal. So Wright and Hall danced their combo twice more.
And the Mustangs cruised by Centaurus 14-5 in a lightning-delayed girls lacrosse Colorado semifinal on the University of Denver campus.
Hall scored on nearly the same play but with the roles reversed and Wright on the giving end a few minutes after their first connection. To start the second half, they did it again for a Wright goal.
Colorado Academy (15-3), which last won a state girls lacrosse title in 2000, was well on its way to another shot at the championship. The third-seeded Mustangs will play top-ranked Cherry Creek on Wednesday at DU.
“Opportunities will come to us if we keep moving and be patient,” said Hall, a senior. “We all trust each other’s stick skills. If we keep moving the ball, something is bound to open up.”
Sydney Prokupek and Emma Richards scored three goals apiece to lead Colorado Academy. Hall and Wright each scored two.
Sarah Myers scored a game-high five goals to lead Centaurus (12-6), which played in its fifth consecutive semifinals.
“They’re a good, aggressive team,” Myers said. “They were all over us in transition. And even when we’re going in, they’ll triple team and get you.”
Myers put Centaurus ahead :57 seconds in, then she traded goals with Prokupek, as Colorado Academy kept pace early for a 2-2 score.
But Academy scored the next three goals — from Hall, Wright and Lauren Russell and never again trailed.
Centaurus was playing three months after the death of assistant coach Tepper Koga, who died of a heart attack in February. The Warriors streaked into the semis with a freshman-heavy team.
“If he was here right now, he’d be really proud we made it this far,” Myers said.
Colorado Academy, which lost to Centaurus in the state tournament’s second round a year ago, played in its first semifinals since 2006.
“We tend to get a little excited when we come up with the ball and then we want to make a play immediately,” Colorado Academy coach Steph Sanders said. “We talked about being disciplined and not forcing everything in —as exciting as it is that people are open.”
The game was delayed nearly two hours because of the weather.
Colorado Acad. … 7 – 7 — 14
Centaurus … 3 – 3 — 5
Goals — Colorado Academy: Prokupek (3), E.Richards (3), Hall (2), Wright (2), Russell, Melberg, Lin, Webster. Centaurus: Myers (5).
Saves — Sutter, CA, 9; Pittser, Cent., 9.
Nick Groke: ngroke@denverpost.com or
