Evergreen edges Longmont in Class 4A boys soccer opening round of state tourney

EVERGREEN — One unlucky goal can be rough to handle in the playoffs and two deflected goals against can spell disaster.

However, Evergreen boys soccer team overcame giving up a pair of deflected goals Thursday in the Cougars’ Class 4A first-round playoff opener against Longmont. 

“Those are the bounces of the game,” Evergreen coach Peter Jeans said of both of Longmont’s goals. “The other team also put themselves in really good position to score. That is why you shoot. Anything can happen. That is a quality team.”

No. 13-seeded Evergreen protected its home field with a 3-2 victory over the No. 20 Trojans. The Cougars (11-4-1 record) never trailed, but weren’t able to pull away from the Trojans (9-5-2).

“I think we could have done a little better,” Evergreen senior Daniel Buddin said of how Evergreen handled the final 10 minutes of the game. “We still got behind the ball. Fought hard and got the win.”

Buddin got the assist on the Cougars’ first goal in the 4th minute. A pass up to fellow senior William Rapp allowed Rapp to rip a hard low shot past Longmont senior goalie Isaiah Sandoval for the early lead.

Longmont did answer with a goal in the 24th minute. A hard shot from distance from junior Jacobo Gracia hit an Evergreen defender and sailed out of reach of Evergreen senior goalie Chris Kozel to tie the game at 1-1.

“After the goal we get together to reset,” Buddin said of the Cougars’ tradition of gathering as a team after giving up a goal. “We want to make the next five minutes our best five minutes. We did that after the first goal.”

Evergreen put immediate pressure back on Longmont after the game-tying goal. Junior Xavier Spungin put a hard shot on goal that was saved, but the rebound came out to sophomore Miles Buchanan who was able to put it into the back of the next to regain the lead for the Cougars.

“That was a great goal,” Jeans said of Buchanan’s goal just seconds after Longmont had tied it in the 24th minute. “Those are big momentum changers.”

Evergreen took a 2-1 lead into halftime. The Cougars got an insurance goal from sophomore Carson Dewil in the 69th minute. Dewil score his team-high 10th goal on the season on a penalty kick.

“Carson had done that twice, finishing big PKs when the game is on the line,” Jeans said of his leading goal scorer. “If you are up 2-1 that’s a big momentum swing if you miss a PK. He buried it when we needed it most.”

The insurance goal was much-needed as a shot from Longmont senior Noah Chavarria ricochet off a Evergreen defender’s head and into the back of the next in the 75th minute to cut the Cougars’ lead to 3-2.

It was the last real scoring chance the Trojans had as Evergreen was able to hang on for the first-round home victory.

“We have to be better than we were tonight to beat the next team,” Jeans said.

The next team up for Evergreen will actually be No. 29-seeded Montbello. The Warriors stunned No. 4 Montrose on the Western Slope on Thursday with a 3-1 victory for Montbello (8-7-1). Evergreen will host the Denver City League team on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at Evergreen High School.

“We would love another home game,” Jeans said. “At this point every team is good. These are tight games. We knew tonight would be a one-goal game. I’m glad we came out on the right side of the one goal.”