Late goal lifts Green Mountain girls soccer to victory over Wheat Ridge

LAKEWOOD — If anyone deserved to score the game-winning goal Friday night at Lakewood Memorial Field it was Green Mountain senior Charlize Ellsworth.

With the Class 4A/3A Jeffco League game between Wheat Ridge and Green Mountain scoreless, Ellsworth took a goalie kick to the face in the 52nd minute. She was jogging down the field and turned her head just as the low goal kick smacked her in the face.

“My lip is a little swollen, but it’s OK,” Ellsworth said of the unexpected shot she took. “It basically hit my whole face, but I don’t have a headache so it’s fine.”

Ellsworth was checked out by Green Mountain’s athletic trainer and eventually returned to the game. Fittingly, she scored the lone goal of the match on a direct free kick in the 78th minute to give Green Mountain a 1-0 victory over the Farmers.

“I saw the wall lined up and the goalie was to the left,” Ellsworth said describing the direct free kick with 2 minutes to play. “I just wanted to place it in the bottom right. I wanted to at least force the goalie to make a save to get a rebound even.”

Ellsworth’s hard shot was just out of the reach of Wheat Ridge senior goalie Julie Jackson. It was actually the first shutout victory of the season for Green Mountain (7-1-1 record, 5-1-0 in league).

“That is all you want to do. Get the win,” Green Mountain coach Bari Abuhadema said. “In this league anyone can beat anybody on any given day.”

The Rams have reeled off five straight conference victories since suffering a league-opening loss to 2-time defending 4A state champion Evergreen.

“After that game we knew we could play against anyone,” Ellsworth said of the 1-0 loss at Evergreen on March 17. “The rest of these games have been really good.”

Green Mountain freshman goalie Beth Guenther picked up the victory in net.

“This league is really even this year to be honest with you,” Abuhadema said after the Rams’ sixth straight game without a loss. 

Evergreen (5-1-3, 4-0-1) is atop the league standing trying to defend its 4A/3A Jeffco League title. However, the Cougars had a 0-0 tie against Standley Lake earlier this week to give Green Mountain an opening to perhaps climb into the top spot if the Rams keep winning and get some help.

“It is really important to make sure we win,” Ellsworth said with the Rams having four league games remaining. “You never know when an upset can happen. Getting wins or ties are good to get as many points (in the league standings) that we can.”

Green Mountain, Evergreen, Dakota Ridge, Golden and Standley Lake were all in the top-16 in the 4A girls soccer CHSAA Selection & Seeding Index before the start of action Friday night. If they all stay in the top 16 all five would host first-round playoff games in the opening round of the 4A state tournament.

Wheat Ridge (5-3-2, 2-1-2) is also fighting to stay in the playoff picture. 

The Farmers are No. 27 in the index standings as of Friday night. The Farmers have already surpassed its win total from a year ago. Wheat Ridge was 4-8-3 last season and ended the year on a 4-game losing streak where they were shut out in all of Wheat Ridge’s final four games. 

The Farmers continue league play next week on Tuesday, April 14, at Lakewood Memorial Field. Wheat Ridge faces Pomona to start the second half of conference play.

Green Mountain will also return to Lakewood Memorial Field on Tuesday. The Rams square off against Bear Creek.