Roaring Fork girls lacrosse earns highest playoff seed in program history

The Roaring Fork girls lacrosse team has spent the spring stacking wins, rewriting expectations and showing how far the program has come.

Now, the Rams have the postseason seed to match.

Roaring Fork earned the No. 3 seed in the Class 4A girls lacrosse state tournament, the highest playoff seed in program history, after closing the regular season at 13-2 and riding a seven-game winning streak into the postseason.

For first-year head coach Dahl Miller, the number says as much about the team’s leadership as it does about its record.

“I think it says a lot to our captains and our senior leadership,” Miller said. “We’ve gone through a lot of firsts this year. It’s my first year as a head coach. We have some new assistant coaches that are fantastic, and they’ve really kind of bought into what we’re trying to do here.”

The Rams were ranked No. 3 in Class 4A in CHSAA’s April 27 girls lacrosse rankings, trailing only Battle Mountain and Golden. Roaring Fork finished the regular season second in the 4A Mountain East League behind Battle Mountain, which handed the Rams their only two losses of the season.

But the ranking and seed represent more than a strong regular season. To Miller, they reflect the growth of a program that continues to gain traction in the Roaring Fork Valley.

“We think we have a really good squad this year, and seeing that No. 3 seed as a first time in program history, it makes me excited for the future,” Miller said. “We do have some younger kids that contribute every game, and I think it just invokes a little bit of stoke for the valley in general, for lacrosse with the younger girls out there playing.”

The Rams have been led by a strong senior class, including two of the top statistical players in Colorado.

Senior goalkeeper Alivya Malcolm has anchored Roaring Fork’s defense after waiting behind Ella Gunning, a three-year starter, earlier in her high school career. This spring, Malcolm ranks No. 1 in Colorado and No. 4 nationally in save percentage at .669. She also ranks sixth in Colorado and fourth in Class 4A with a 5.643 goals-against average.

“She stepped up huge this year,” Miller said. “She was kind of shadowed by a three-year starter in front of her before she got her shot as a senior this year. And she’s obviously good. Her stats speak for themselves, but she’s just a great leader, a great anchor for that defense.”

Malcolm plans to attend Lehigh University in Pennsylvania and is expected to play club lacrosse there, Miller said.

On the other end of the field, senior Jordyn Miller has powered the Rams’ attack. A Division I commit to Eastern Michigan, Miller ranks 12th in Colorado with 73 points, including 50 goals and 23 assists. She also ranks fifth in Class 4A in points, ninth in goals and seventh in assists.

Within the 4A Mountain East League, Miller ranks first in goals and points, third in assists and third with 35 ground balls.

“She’s a quality lacrosse player,” Dahl Miller said. “I think she’s arguably one of the best players in Colorado for the 2026 class. And that’s not coming from a dad, that’s coming from a coach that’s seen a lot of lacrosse in the last four or five years all across the country.”

Roaring Fork has outscored opponents heavily during its late-season run, including an 18-6 win over Fruita Monument, a 17-3 win over Summit and a 22-1 win over Denver North to close the regular season.

Miller said the Rams have focused on competitive practices and continuing to push each other as the state tournament begins.

“We’re trying to really work on competitive practicing, really pushing each other during practice, trying to get better every time,” Miller said.

The No. 3 Rams earned a first-round bye and will host the winner of No. 14 Fruita Monument and No. 19 Horizon on Thursday in the second round of the Class 4A state tournament.