Evergreen girls soccer going after a rare 3-peat

EVERGREEN — The quest for a three-peat has begun for Evergreen’s girls soccer team.

The Cougars pulled off back-to-back Class 4A state championships in 2024 and 2025 with victories at Weidner Field in Colorado Springs to end the past two seasons. With the majority of Evergreen’s core returning, expectations are high again. 

However, Evergreen’s senior captain believes that after repeating as state champions the pressure isn’t as intense this year.

“I think what we have done so far is already so amazing,” said Evergreen senior Gianna Weiner, who will play soccer at the University of Kansas after she finishes her stellar prep career with the Cougars. “Whatever happens now is just even better. I do think we’ll make a good playoff run. I think we have a great team and I’m excited to see what we can do.”

What the Cougars (1-0-2, 1-0-0 in 4A Jeffco) did Tuesday night was pick up their first victory of the season in a conference opener. Evergreen had 1-1 ties against Windsor and Northfield last week, but was able to get in the win column against rival Green Mountain with a 1-0 victory at Evergreen High School.

“It’s unfortunate sometimes to see that team (Green Mountain) in the first league game,” Evergreen coach Peter Jeans said. “They are a very strong team and I thought they outplayed us today. I think they played better than we did. We got one very good finish, very timely finish at the end of the game.”

With the game scoreless late in the second half, Evergreen senior Cameron Wedding centered a pass to Weiner. The returning leading goal scorer for the Cougars was able to pop the ball over the head of Green Mountain freshman goalie Bethan Guenther and under the cross bar in the 75th minute.

The goal would hold up to get the defending 4A Jeffco League champs atop the standings early.

“We have been working on crossing and finishing,” Weiner said of her first goal of the season after 18 tallies last season. “I’m just glad I could get a foot on it.”

Weiner also had 20 assists a season ago to led the Cougars with remarkable total of 56 points. The senior currently has 35 goals and 33 assists career assists.

“She has quality to her for sure,” Jeans said of Weiner. “The other team really has to be aware of her.”

Evergreen is extremely dangerous offensively with Wedding (10 goals) and senior Nadia Leunig (10 goals and 13 assists) returning. Not to mention the likes of senior London Stewart scoring both goals in the Cougars’ opening two ties and junior Izzy Clark (4 goals) still in the mix.

“I honestly think we are going to continue to get better,” Weiner said. “There is a lot of things for us to work on. As league goes on we will just continue to get better.”

Jeans felt like the Cougars didn’t connect well with their passing against the Rams. 

“We are going to have to improve and build as the year goes on,” Jeans said. “I think we were pretty fortunate with the result tonight.”

Green Mountain and Evergreen opened league play up a year ago with a 1-1 tie. It was the only blemish on the Cougars’ league record last season. Weiner knew how important the game was against Green Mountain, who finished second in league last year.

“That was something we definitely talked about before the game. Usually this game is what comes down to who wins the league,” Weiner said. “That is something we are definitely going after. Green Mountain is a strong team in the league and I think we proved ourselves tonight.” 

Improvement is something that Jeans has been impressed by his familiar face in next. Junior goalie Avery Mahnken picked up her first shutout victory of the season with the win against Green Mountain (2-1, 0-1). She had a string of eight consecutive shutouts last season and finished allowing just 11 goals the entire season.

“She (Mahnken) has grown so much,” Jeans said of the Cougars’ three-year varsity keeper. “She has won two state championships, but each year she comes back and is a totally different player, a much better player. She is becoming a very complete keeper. I gave her the Player of the Game today. I thought she was fantastic.”

Green Mountain graduated a lot of talent from last year’s team that had a 15-1-2 record. The biggest loss was the graduation of Alyssa Hamilton, who had 31 goals last season before heading off to the University of Idaho. 

Senior striker Charlize Ellsworth returns, but the Rams will turn to their young core to have another successful season under longtime coach Bari Abuhadema. Green Mountain returns to action with another trip up the hill on Friday, March 20. The Rams will face Conifer (3-2, 0-1) on the Lobos’ home field.

Evergreen hosts Pomona (1-5, 0-1) on Thursday, March 19, before Spring Break.

“We need to improve every day,” Jeans said. “The team that improves the most is the one that is going to win games. It isn’t necessarily the best team, but it is the team that is improving the most.”