Columbine girls soccer shuts out Arvada West in league opener

ARVADA — Columbine girls soccer has grabbed some momentum at a critical time of the season.

The Rebels are on a 4-game winning streak after a big 2-0 shutout victory Tuesday night against Arvada West in the Class 5A Jeffco League opener at the North Area Athletic Complex.

“It is pretty big. I’m super excited,” Columbine senior Samantha Carter said of the shutout victory. “This is a really good start to the (league) season.”

Columbine (5-3, 1-0) got off to a rough 1-3 start, but have won four games over the last eight days. A-West (4-4, 0-1) was coming off a good 7-1 victory over Centaurus last week, but suffered its first shutout loss of the season.

“All wins are important,” Columbine coach Brian Todd said. “A-West is always a great opponent. A-West made it tough on us, but we got it done.”

Sophomore Abbi Giedt scored late in the first half to give the Rebels a 1-0 lead. She ripped a shot past A-West junior goalie Hayden Briscoe in the 36th minute.

“Abbi just hit a bomb far post,” Todd said of the opening goal. “That was an unbelievable strike.”

Columbine made it a 2-0 lead in the 60th minute with a goal from Carter. The goal was set up by fellow senior Olivia Ashbrook, who sent a pass to Carter from the far side of the field.

“She (Ashbrook) saw me open on the opposite side,” Carter said. “It was really nice to get that ball from Olivia. I’ve been playing with her since … I don’t even know. Since before I can remember. It’s really fun to have that connection with her still.”

Carter took her time with a pair of touches before firing a low shot that found the far corner of the net.

“It was a ball that not a lot of players can take down with one touch,” Todd said of Carter handling the long pass from Ashbrook. “She (Carter) has a great clean first touch and not only did she take it down on a great one touch, but she finished off a second touch. That is tough for any defender or goalie to deal with.”

A-West had a couple of chances in the second half to cut into the lead, but sophomore goalie Ella Rieben came up big on chances from A-West senior Brook Pavlich, who came in with 13 goals on the season.

“Ella did a great job,” Carter said of the Rebels’ sophomore goalie. “A-West is a good team.”

Pavlich had scored at least one goal in each of the Wildcats’ first seven games.

“(Pavlich) up top is an animal,” Todd said of the Wildcats’ leading goal scorer. “She is a really tough player to defend. She ripped a few balls where our keeper saved us.”

Columbine has a big conference match against Ralston Valley (6-2-1, 1-0) at 7 p.m. Friday, April 9, at Lakewood Memorial Field. The Rebels will have to contend with the top goal scorer in 5A, Ralston Valley junior Raleigh Greason.

Greason had a hat-trick in the Mustangs’ 10-0 victory over Pomona in the first of two games Tuesday night at NAAC. The junior has 20 goals on the season so far.

“A little bit different players, but both dominate in our league,” Todd said of facing Pavlich and Greason in back-to-back games. “Both are having great seasons. Raleigh up top for Ralston Valley is someone we’ll really have to be mindful of. I have confidence that we will.”

A-West is back at NAAC on Friday night to host Chatfield (2-4-1, 1-0).