Boys lax: Aspen to host Windsor in state second round
The Aspen Times
Jeremy Wallace / The Aspen Times |
Round 1: Aspen.
Round 2: 4 p.m. Friday at Aspen School District Stadium.
The Aspen High School boys lacrosse team won the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs Wednesday with a 17-2 knockout victory over Englewood.
The second round in the lacrosse playoff bracket is scheduled for Friday when the No. 1-seeded Skiers host No. 8 Windsor at 4 p.m. at Aspen School District Stadium.
At stake is a berth in the Class 4A state semifinals next week.
“We’re happy to be at home for another game in front of our fans,” Aspen head coach Mike Goerne said, adding that a big home crowd Wednesday helped boost the Skiers against Englewood. “We hope to have another big turnout.”
The Skiers overwhelmed visiting Englewood with nine different players scoring in the victory that improved Aspen to 14-2 on the season.
Tyler Tick, Trey Robinson, Jonathan Wells, Henry Godfrey, John Heaphey, Harry Ferguson, Ryan Fitzgerald, Mike O’Brien and Ryan Hooker all scored in the Skiers’ 14th victory of the season.
Aspen scored seven first-period goals to fuel the playoff victory.
Windsor, playing at home as the No. 8 seed, had to hold off a late Steamboat Springs rally in the first round Wednesday. The Wizards used two offensive spurts, but still had to turn back the rallying Sailors.
Windsor eventually won 16-15 to improve to 11-5 on the season.
Hunter Hop led the Wizards with five goals in the win over Steamboat Springs.
This will be Windsor’s second trip to Aspen this season.
The Wizards traveled to Aspen and lost 12-6 to the Skiers in a nonleague game on April 25.
Aspen also is bidding for its second consecutive trip to the Class 4A state semifinals. Last year, the Skiers set a record for boys lacrosse wins before falling in the state semifinal game in Lakewood.
The Skiers have defeated all of their Class 4A opponent this season. Their only losses this season came to Class 5A playoff teams Grandview and Arapahoe.
The Aspen-Windsor winner will advance to the state semifinals and a game against either Alexander Dawson or Battle Mountain. Those two teams will meet in the second round on Battle Mountain’s home field.
If Aspen beats Windsor, the Skiers would host a state semifinal game next Wednesday, May 13.
No. 4 Battle Mountain (12-4) ousted Littleton 11-3 on Wednesday.
No. 5 seed Alexander Dawson (10-6) topped Summit 20-15
In the other half of the bracket, No. 2 seed Valor Christian advanced to the second round with a 20-7 win over No. 15 Evergreen.
Valor Christian (16-0) will take on No. 7 Ponderosa (9-7) after Ponderosa pulled out an 18-17 first-round win over Conifer.
No. 3 Cheyenne Mountain (13-3) defeated Durango 21-2 on Wednesday to reach the second round and a game against No. 6 Air Academy (12-3). Air Academy topped Thompson Valley 11-9 in the first round.
If Aspen and Battle Mountain both win in the quarterfinals, they would meet for the third time this season in the state semifinals. The Skiers won the two earlier meetings.
The Class 4A boys state lacrosse championship game will be played May 15 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, the home of the Denver Broncos.
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