No. 10 Green Mountain girls soccer improves to 4-0 with shutout win
LAKEWOOD — Green Mountain’s girls soccer team has stormed its way to an impressive 4-0 record early this season.
The Rams — No. 10 in the Class 4A girls soccer CHSAANow.com preseason rankings — took care of business Friday at Lakewood Memorial Field with a 2-0 victory over 5A Jeffco League’s Lakewood Tigers.
“It’s kind of unexpected,” Green Mountain senior Olivia Pietro admitted about the undefeated start. “We did good last year, but not this good. It’s good to get off to this start and gives us confidence.”
There was a little lack of confidence when it came to getting the non-league game played Friday. The “Bomb Cyclone” blizzard that hit Colorado on Wednesday put some doubt if Lakewood Memorial Field would be playable, but the field was plowed and cleared to play before the 4 p.m. start.
“We didn’t think we were going to be able to play it, but I’m glad we did,” Green Mountain coach John Barone said.
Barone is also glad to have Pietro on the field for the Rams. The senior is playing her first high school season after suffering three torn ACLs over the past three years. Pietro gave Green Mountain a 1-0 lead in the 32nd minute off a centering pass from sophomore Makenzi Dowell.
“This is her fourth try at it,” Barone said of Pietro. “She is just an unbelievable player. She is a special, special player.”
Pietro is the Rams’ leading goal scorer with five tallies in four games.
“My ultimate goal is to play in college, but for right now this is my goal,” said Pietro, who added that she is just excited to be on the field for the Rams playing with classmates she has never been able to play with before.
Dowell scored her fourth goal of the season in the 58th minute off a throw-in from freshman Morgan Falconer that led directly to the sophomore giving the Rams a 2-0 lead.
“Makenzi is just big and fast,” Barone said. “She normally isn’t a starter, but when she gets in she scores goals.”
Sophomore goalie Jayden Johnson picked up the shutout victory in net for Green Mountain.
The impressive start has Barone excited about what the Rams can accomplish this spring in one of the most competitive conferences in 4A. The last league title for Green Mountain came in 2013.
“Last year we finished seventh out of eight in (4A) Jeffco,” Barone said. “It’s such a tough league, but we really feel like we can compete this year. In the first time in a while we should be in the top-half and maybe even challenge for it.”
Lakewood (1-3 record) has road games at Vista Ridge and Mullen next week. Green Mountain has games against Denver South and Air Academy before spring break.
