A four-year playoff drought is hovering over the girls soccer program at Northglenn High School this spring.
A freshman might be the reason it ends sooner rather than later.
In the first five games of her high school career, Joselyn Nores Gomez leads the state with 15 goals as the Norsemen have started 2-2-1 this season.
Gomez opened the season with five goals in a 7-0 win over rival Thornton, then had eight (yes, eight) in an 11-1 win over Overland three weeks ago.
In this week’s look at the sport, we’ll focus on a few early stat leaders across the classifications and what that means for their respective teams.
Class 5A
Joselyn Nores Gomez, Northglenn: The freshman has 31 points through five games for the Norsemen, though things appear to get harder from here. For her and her team.
Northglenn opened league play in the vaunted Front Range League with a 1-0 loss to Mountain Range Tuesday, and it gets an even stiffer test Thursday at No. 2 Broomfield.
The Norsemen’s last postseason appearance came in 2019.
Emme Kennedy, Smoky Hill: Though the saves stat in high school soccer is unscientific (look out for the rogue scorekeepers), the sophomore goalkeeper has been strong either way to start the spring.
Kennedy is credited with 97 saves through six games, more than 16 per game for the 3-3 Buffaloes.
She had eight and 12 in wins over Vista Peak and Littleton last month.
With her in net, Smoky Hill’s three wins is already one more than it had last season.
Class 4A
Mia Duncan, Montrose: The junior leads the classification with 27 points and the No. 9 Red Hawks are 5-1 to start the year.
Duncan, who had seven goals and 10 assists in 24 games coming into the season, is having a nothing short of a monster breakout through six games.
Her 11 goals ties her for the class lead with Grand Junction Central’s Liana Bryant. In a snapshot of her start, she had at least four points through her first five games before the Red Hawks suffered their first loss of the season Tuesday, falling 3-0 to 5A Fruita Monument.
She’ll look to get back into the box score, and her team in the win column, when the Red Hawks host Durango Saturday.
Jocelyn Thompson, Pueblo West: Thompson has a class-leading seven assists, teammate Kaitlyn Pearson has another six and the Cyclones are 2-3 despite a tough opening slate.
Pueblo West fell to Air Academy 2-1 in its season opener and has also lost to George Washington and Riverdale Ridge.
In league, it’s been better, beating Pueblo East and Pueblo Central a combined 20-1.
It travels to winless Pueblo South Thursday.
Class 3A
Emily Tibbitts, Alamosa: Outside a 10-0 drubbing from Durango, goalie Tibbitts and Alamosa have been strong to start the spring.
Tibbitts is credited with 55 saves during a 2-2 start. On Saturday, she recorded her first shutout of the season in a 6-0 win against Mitchell.
Tibbitts had 124 saves a season ago.
Tyara Vazquez, Harrison: The junior has 24 points through six games as the Panthers are 5-1 to open the spring.
Vazquez started the year with four goals and two assists in a 10-0 win over Mitchell. Across her last three games, she has six goals, including the game-winner against Hinkley late last month.
Harrison is at Elizabeth Friday.
Class 2A
Rylie Young, Clear Creek: Young has 13 of her team’s 19 goals as the Golddiggers are 3-3 to start the year.
In her latest performance, Young scored all four of her team’s goals in a 4-1 win over Nederland Monday.
The junior already has 74 goals in her career.
The Golddiggers host Gilpin County Tuesday.
Maizy Gordon, Ridgway: Gordon is second to Young in both points and goals in 2A, though she’s played four less games.
In a 2-0 start, Gordon has nine goals and 19 points.
Gordon, also a junior, has 48 goals and four assists in her career.
The Demons are looking to get back to their winning ways after a rare losing season last spring. They had four winning seasons before last year’s 5-7 record.
