Freshman leads Green Mountain girls soccer to win over Dakota Ridge
LAKEWOOD — What a different a year makes.
Last season, Green Mountain’s girls soccer team finished with a 2-12 record and scored just 15 goals the whole season. Ten of those goals came in a single game.
A year later, the Rams have already surpassed their win total from 2016. Green Mountain’s latest victory came against Class 5A Jeffco’s Dakota Ridge on Monday at Lakewood Memorial Field.
Green Mountain (3-0 record) took a 2-0 lead early in the second half and was able to withstand some good pressure from the Eagles (2-3) in the final 20 minutes to eventually take a 3-1 victory.
“We didn’t play well, but we found a way to score a couple,” Green Mountain coach John Barone said. “It’s a big difference from last year when we couldn’t find a way to get a goal even when we played better than this.”
Freshman Addisyn Hyrup has been a scoring machine for the Rams. Hyrup has six goals already on the season. The forward scored in the 6th and 49th minutes Monday to give the Rams a 2-0 lead.
Hyrup’s first goal came off a shot that looked improbable when she fired it as a pair of Dakota Ridge defenders closed in. The hard and high shot hit the inside of the far post and ricocheted over the goal line.
“Six goals in three game,” Barone said of the Rams’ scoring machine. “We are lucky to have her. She is a great player. She has a great shot and finds ways to get it off.”
The freshman admits she didn’t expect to have this type of early impact for the Rams.
“I hadn’t practiced with the team for a while because of club training,” said Hyrup, who gets the chance to play with her older sister Jadyn. “I’m surprised that I’m scoring a lot for the team.”
Dakota Ridge trimmed the lead to 2-1 with a goal by senior Hannah Matson in the 63rd minute. Matson’s shot sailed over the head of Green Mountain goalie Emma Lonergan and into the back of the net to make it a 1-goal game.
The Eagles had a couple of chances to even the game at 2-2. However, Dakota Ridge failed to get the equalizer. Green Mountain junior Sydney Weathers sealed the victory with a goal with 9 seconds remaining.
“This is a huge step for our team,” Green Mountain senior captain Danielle Lord said. “We had quite a young team last year. Now that we are a year old we’ve developed into better and stronger players. I hope we continue to be successful moving forward.”
Barone gave a lot of credit to the Rams’ backline of Elli Berger, Anistin Pazink, Jadyn Hyrup and Lord for helping Green Mountain surrender just a single goal in the second half.
“The whole second half was in our own end, but the defense played great,” Barone said. “Our back four are great. They are going to keep us in a lot of games.”
Green Mountain will get a hefty test Wednesday, March 22, at Lakewood Memorial Field. Defending 4A state champion Lewis-Palmer (3-0), ranked No. 2 in the latest CHSAANow.com 4A girls soccer poll, squares off against the hot Rams.
“We could surprise some people potentially,” Lord said about the Rams when they begin their 4A Jeffco League schedule after spring break next week. “What is nice about being the underdog is we can prove everyone else wrong.”
Dakota Ridge gets right back on the field when they face D’Evelyn at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Lakewood Memorial Field. The Jaguars (3-0) are No. 7 in the 4A rankings.
