4A Girls Soccer: Evergreen Wins on Penalty Kicks to Secure Back-to-Back State Titles

COLORADO SPRINGS – The champs are still the champs – thanks to Stella Johnson.

The junior smashed a goal that nicked off the hands of Windsor goalie Leah Bacon and into the back of net vaulting Evergreen to a 4-3 win in penalty kicks to give the Cougars their second consecutive Class 4A state championship late Tuesday night at Switchbacks Weidner Field.

“It was amazing,” Johnson said. “I had not taken a PK this season. I took two at practice (Monday) and (coach) told me I would take one today if we got down to it. It was a great feeling to win the game. We just have such a great spirit. We are all friends, and we just get along so well. It has such a great vibe.”

Evergreen finished the season with a 17-1-2 after winning its 15th straight game. Windsor ended its campaign with a 16-4 record and saw its 11-game winning streak snapped.

Evergreen snared its fourth girls state soccer crown in school history to go with the ones it collected in 1990, 1997 and 2024.

Windsor was aiming to claim its second girls state soccer championship. The Wizards captured their inaugural title in 2018 by defeating Valor Christian 4-1.

The Wizards last played in the title game in 2022 and lost 4-3 in penalty kicks to Northfield.

In the first 15-minute overtime, Windsor was the aggressor nearly the entire time but could never parlay that into a game-winning goal.

The second 15-minute OT, which started at 10 p.m., neither team could find the back of the net, so it was sent to PK shootout.

Windsor took a quick 2-0 in PKs on goals by Braely Martinez and Hanna McKay.

With the chance at a repeat seemingly slipping away Evergreen’s Gianna Weiner got her team on track with a goal, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

Windsor’s Rylinn Bernhardt answered with a goal to stretch the Wizards lead to 3-1.

However, Evergreen didn’t shrink in the spotlight instead the Cougars shined.

Lucia Spungin and Nuala Hart knocked in clutch goals to tie things at 3-3.

That set the stage for Johnson.

“I just looked at the other corner and hoped (goalie Bacon) wouldn’t go that way,” Johnson said. “She was bouncing around, and I didn’t want her to get in my head. I just hit it where I have been hitting it in practice, and it felt good. This hasn’t sunk in yet.”

The first half was a true heavyweight bout – each team threw its share of blows – but only one scoring blow landed off the foot of Martinez. Tatum Gentry sent a pass to the middle and Martinez, a junior, rushed up and smashed the ball into the back of the net from 10 yards out at the 21st minute.

Finally, the Cougars flexed their muscles and tied the score in the 66th minute on a header from Elle Buenning. The goal was set up by a kick from Weiner.

The score remained 1-1 at the end of regulation and two overtimes before Johnson stepped in to be the hero.

“It is confidence, and we take a lot of PKs in practice,” Evergreen coach Peter Jeans said. “In addition to taking a lot of PKs in practice it is just belief that they know the other kids have their back.

“I thought it was a very even game, and we just had to find a goal and we found one on a corner kick and that was crucial. We were just gutsy and determined and had resiliency. I’m not sure we were the better team (Tuesday night), but we won the game.”