Oberg’s goal holds up as Colorado Academy wins 3A girls soccer
COMMERCE CITY — Colorado Academy girls soccer star Alex Oberg, a midfielder, had redemption on her mind Tuesday night in the Class 3A state championship match at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
Oberg, a senior, nearly scored a potential game-winning goal during a 1-1 semifinal round match against The Classical Academy last season. The Mustangs lost that game 2-1 in overtime. TCA was the state runner-up.
Oberg’s shot skimmed over the crossbar as a junior. Senior year in a rematch against The Classical Academy, Oberg was all net with the game’s only goal, giving Colorado Academy a 1-0 victory and the 3A crown for the first time since 2003.
After a scoreless first half where both teams played rugged defense and neither took advantage of some limited opportunities, Oberg broke the scoreless tie. The midfielder scored with 35 minutes remaining in the second half.
“It was a beautiful cross from Sarah Masinter, our outside mid, and it was right at my feet, right in front of the goal,” Oberg said of her state championship-winning goal. “I had no one on me. I accidentally hit it into the defender first and it deflected into the right place and I got it into the back of the net.”
“She has come up really big for this team in the last two games,” Colorado Academy coach Sean Stedeford said of Oberg. “She had two goals in the semis and then the game she had tonight. As a senior, I’m sure she’s overly happy right now.”
Oberg’s strike gave the Mustangs the advantage, but the one goal lead never felt safe as the Titans controlled possession late and had several good looks at an equalizer.
Ultra-talented freshman Hannah Burgo, TCA’s leading scorer on the season with 21 goals and 47 points — 13 more than anyone else — displayed fancy footwork throughout. Burgo, a speedy forward with great ball skill, created scoring opportunities for her teammates with moves and some gorgeous crosses.
During one opportunity, Burgo launched the ball from near the right sideline with a hard strike. Her cross dropped in the middle of the field, but her teammates weren’t able to control it enough for a good shot. A few minutes before that, Burgo placed a nifty pass through two defenders to midfielder Bonnie Buzzetta, but Mustang goalie MacKenzie Timbell corralled the shot.
Both teams displayed crisp passing, tough defense, and solid goalie play, but Colorado Academy seized their moment.
The Mustangs were ecstatic to finally be the state champions after coming so close in recent years. They were eliminated in the semis in 2013 and were the runner-up in 2012 to Peak to Peak. Oberg felt she had unfinished business after her missed goal last season and after losing on the same field in the title match as a sophomore.
“That was heartbreaking,” Oberg said of finishing second. “It was great to redeem myself and come back and win it. I had playing here on my mind since then and it was wonderful to come back and finally win it my senior year.”
“These girls set that expectation this year as a goal, having come close two years ago and last year losing in the semis,” Stedeford added. “To see them accomplish it, it’s a really proud moment.”
Both player and coach credited Colorado Academy’s first state title since 2003 and third state title overall — they also won in 1999 — to the Mustangs’ unity.
“We were definitely very bonded this year,” Oberg said. “We’re so interconnected and were such good friends and I love these girls on and off the field. It was great playing with them and we wanted to do it for each other.”
“I think we had incredibly strong leadership from our older players,” Stedeford added. “The young girls, we’re actually a very young team with a lot of freshman in the group, kind of came in and said, we’re here to play. From day one, we knew it was going to be a high-level team and we did it.”
