3A Girls Soccer: Kocher, Colorado Academy Respond to Adversity, Complete Three-Peat

COLORADO SPRINGS – After a scoreless first half in CHSAA’s 3A Girls Soccer State Championship game Tuesday night, Colorado Academy found itself down 1-0 less than five minutes into the second half against Kent Denver – the same score as the full-time result when the teams met back on April 16.

But it didn’t stay that way for long.

The Mustangs responded with two goals from star senior Lyla Kocher in a matter of three minutes, and then held on for a 2-1 victory and a third straight state championship at Weidner Field.

“We got scored on, but we just believed that we could come back,” Kocher said. “That’s one of our big things this year. Kent is a really good opponent with really good players. But we came together as a team and we believed.”

It’s Colorado Academy’s eighth state championship in girls soccer, one more than Kent Denver and one fewer than Arapahoe, the all-time leader with nine.

“For these girls to now be second all-time in Colorado and for our school as a whole, boys and girls, to be tied with Arapahoe (with 15), it means a lot,” Colorado Academy coach Sean Stedeford said. “It shows the strength of our program for both girls and boys, and we couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Just 64 seconds after the Kent Denver goal, Kocher responded. Freshman Harper Ballenger played the ball up the right touch line for senior sister Layne Ballenger. The elder Ballenger then set up Kocher in the box for a nifty left-footed strike just inside the left post.

“We were able to break the line and cut a lot of people out,” Kocher said. “We practice that a lot, drawing defenders in and then breaking the line. Layne had a really good touch in, made the defender choose and made a really good pass to me and I was able to put it away.”

But Kocher and the Mustangs weren’t finished. After earning a free kick just outside the box, Kocher bent her left-footed shot around the wall towards the right post, where it bounced past the diving keeper to give Colorado Academy a 2-1 lead with 32:50 left.

“Drew a foul in a really good spot,” Kocher said. “I saw they were marking back-post, so I decided to go near. … I was trying to put it on frame somewhere. It had a bit more bend than I expected. It got underneath the goalie, which was lucky.”

Kent Denver freshman Josie Solot had started the flurry by punching home a shot in front after a free kick by Kyky O’Connor was blocked down by the CA keeper. That came with 35:50 left.

“I didn’t tell them anything,” Stedeford said of his post-goal message to his players. “Something we always preach as a program is that we don’t get too high and we don’t get too low. All we can do is respond.”

Colorado Academy was the No. 3 seed for the postseason, and finished off its three-peat with a 15-5 record in 2026.

“This one, compared to the last two, the girls had a lot more adversity this year,” Stedeford said. “The path wasn’t easy. We had to overcome some challenges. We had a scare in the semifinals. And I think it all helped them in the end.”

No. 1 Kent Denver finished 16-3-1.

After getting a goal and two assists in last year’s 3-1 state-championship game victory over Timanth, Kocher was again front and center, finishing the season with 30 goals to put her career total at 71, along with 51 assists.

“Lyla is a special player, not just because she’s a goal-scorer, but because she leads by example,” Stedeford said. “She took on those moments as a player, but then late in the game she dropped off and did the (defensive) role she needed to do because that’s what the team needed. That shows her maturity as a player and as a leader.”

She and her teammates also added to the Mustangs’ soccer legacy.

“It’s been awesome,” Kocher said. “I’m really grateful to be a part of this program and for all it’s done for me.”