Green Mountain & Evergreen on a possible collision course in the 4A girls lax state tourney

LAKEWOOD — Kara Harris, Rome Villani, Avery Freedman and Kya Cooper are the current Mount Rushmore of Green Mountain girls lacrosse.

Harris, Villani, Freedman and Cooper are putting up historic offensive numbers for the Rams. All four have gone over the 50-goal mark this season for Green Mountain, who is seeded No. 2 for the Class 4A state tournament.

“I expected it,” Harris said of the Rams’ offensive prowess this season. “We worked hard over the summer. We lead the team not only in stats, but on the field as well. I’ve known all those girls for my whole high school career and longer than that.”

The Rams (12-4 record) opened their playoff journey Thursday night at Trailblazer Stadium with a 22-7 victory over No. 15 Fruita Monument. Green Mountain’s quadruple scoring attack accounted for 20 of the Rams’ 21 goals. 

Harris, who became the program’s leading goal scorer Thursday, led the way with seven tallies. 

“We got really lucky with me, Romi and Kara coming in as freshmen. Then Kya came in that next year,” Freedman said of the Rams’ four-pronged scoring attack. “The four of us are really strong together. We have great chemistry.”

Freedman, who missed her junior year due to a torn ACL, poured in six goals against the Wildcats (9-8). Villani and Cooper had four goals each in the fifth straight victory for Green Mountain.

“We have been preaching the concept of being a utility player,” Green Mountain coach Savannah Phillips said. “How do you come onto the field and play all sides off the ball? We are so privileged to have four girls like that.”

Freedman, Harris and Villani are all seniors. The trio would like to go out on a ‘bang’ like they came in with a ‘bang’. The Rams won the 4A state title in 2022 when those three were all freshmen. 

The next stop on the road to another shot at a state title will come in a state quarterfinal match against No. 7 Roaring Fork at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at Trailblazer Stadium.

“I think we are peaking at the right time,” Phillips said. “The entire team and entire (coaching) staff has one common historical mile marker it has to reach.”

The 4A state semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, May 14, at Englewood High School. The state championship game will be 5 p.m. Friday, May 16, at Peter Barton Stadium at the University of Denver.

“I definitely have that in the back of my mind,” Freedman said of No. 1-seed and 4A defending state champion Evergreen (13-2) looming on the opposite side of the state bracket. “I think we have to take it game-by-game to get there.”

Evergreen — 2021 and 2024 4A state champions — and Green Mountain have combined to win three of the past four 4A girls lacrosse state championships. If the seeds hold true, the Cougars and Rams could meet in the title game.

“Obviously, we would like to see Evergreen in the final,” Harris said. “But, we have multiple games before that and we have to focus on that every single day.”