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Aspen girls lacrosse headed to state quarterfinals after rout of Durango

Skiers to play at No. 1 Evergreen on Saturday

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Austin Colbert

Aspen High School girls lacrosse players leave the bench in celebration after the Skiers beat Durango, 17-4, in a second-round playoff game on Thursday, May 8, 2025, on the AHS turf.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

The regular season brought a lot of ups and downs for the Aspen High School girls lacrosse team this spring, but Thursday’s playoff opener against Durango was full speed ahead from the start.

“The energy was really up today. We realized it was our last time playing together, as seniors especially on our home turf, and we wanted to make the most of it and make sure we left it all out on the field,” AHS senior Haley Schmela said. “We’ve been putting a lot of work into practice this week, and it’s really paid off. We finally had connection on the field that we just haven’t had in previous games.”

Hosting No. 9 seed Durango in the second round of the Class 4A state tournament, No. 8 Aspen rolled to a 17-4 win on the AHS turf that sends the Skiers into Saturday’s quarterfinal round against No. 1 Evergreen.

Durango’s season ends at 11-4 overall.

“We knew this team would be coming for us the second they stepped on the turf, so we told our girls from the beginning, nothing is going to be given to you,” AHS coach Kaely Wolf said. “I also think they were really excited we got to play on our home turf. Being the eighth seed, we were the higher seed and playing here in front of the whole crowd and everyone, it was just exciting for them, and they knew what was on the line, so they showed up.”


Aspen led Durango 13-2 at halftime before a quiet third quarter from both sides made it 14-3 entering the fourth. Schmela led the Skiers with seven goals, while senior Lindsay Waldeck added four goals, and senior Darienne Kenny had 11 key draw controls. Freshman Livia Tergeoglou controlled the net for Aspen.

With the win, AHS is now 11-5 overall and winners of five out of six games, the only loss coming against a Battle Mountain team seeded No. 3 in the state tournament. The Skiers had a first-round bye in the playoffs.

“You always hope for that perfect 15-0 season. It wasn’t there. I think we lost a few games we probably should have won. That’s how it goes. We played through some adversity,” Wolf said. “We got to come out strong. You never know what’s going to happen. It’s playoffs, right? I don’t want to say one way or the other, but we got to show up on Saturday.”

Players battle for possession as the Aspen High School girls lacrosse team hosts Durango in a second-round playoff game on Thursday, May 8, 2025, on the AHS turf. The Skiers won, 17-4, to advance.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Aspen High School girls lacrosse player Haley Schmela, right, brings the ball upfield against Durango on Thursday, May 8, 2025, on the AHS turf. The Skiers won, 17-4, to advance.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

Evergreen is the reigning 4A state champion and went 12-2 in the regular season en route to earning the No. 1 seed. After also having a first-round bye, the champs beat No. 17 Horizon in the second round on Thursday, winning 19-4.

The Cougars are tentatively scheduled to host Aspen at 4 p.m. on Saturday in Evergreen with a spot in the state semifinals on the line.

“We are excited, I’d say the most,” Schmela said. “We know we are not guaranteed anything. I think that’s what makes us so special. We do put everything on the field, and everything we can we put into practice. At the end of the day, we just want it, and that’s what is going to get us far.”

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The Aspen boys lacrosse team, seeded No. 1 at 14-0 overall, will host No. 16 Green Mountain at 6 p.m. on Friday in their second-round playoff game on the AHS turf. The Skiers had a first-round bye.

Scoreboard

Also advancing on Thursday were the No. 7 seed Roaring Fork girls, beating No. 10 Mullen, 12-4, in Carbondale. The Rams (12-4) will next play No. 2 Green Mountain (12-4) in the quarterfinals on Saturday. That game will be played at JeffCo Stadium in Lakewood.

Other quarterfinal matchups include No. 5 Golden vs. No. 4 Mead, with the winner playing the Aspen-Evergreen winner in the semis. The Roaring Fork-Green Mountain winner will face the winner between No. 3 Battle Mountain and No. 6 Steamboat Springs in the semis.

The No. 19 seed Roaring Fork girls soccer team also won on Thursday, upsetting No. 14 Montezuma-Cortez on the road, 8-2. Next up, the Rams (8-5-3) will play at No. 3 Delta (16-0) at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The undefeated Panthers beat No. 30 Elizabeth in the first round, 10-0.

Elsewhere in state soccer, No. 16 Steamboat Springs beat No. 17 Englewood, 5-0, in the first round and will play No. 1 Colorado Academy in the second on Saturday. No. 13 Vail Mountain advanced with a 10-1 win over No. 20 Alameda and will play No. 4 Prospect Ridge Academy in the next round.

acolbert@aspentimes.com

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