Evergreen out kicks Windsor to repeat as 4A girls soccer champion

COLORADO SPRINGS – Stella Johnson practiced penalty kicks just in time.

The junior midfielder fired off two at Monday’s practice, but her first one in a match came with the Class 4A girls soccer state title on the line. Her right-footed shot found the back of the net and secured Evergreen with a 1-1 (4-3 in penalty kicks) win at Weidner Field on Tuesday night.

She looked to the right and fired a shot that grazed the fingers of Windsor goalkeeper Leah Bacon before it hit the back of the net and gave the Cougars their second consecutive state title and third all time.

“It didn’t work, she went the right way,” said Johnson who put the finishing touches on the Cougars 3-1 penalty kick rally. “But, it worked, it’s OK. It went in.”

Braely Martinez scored a goal for Windsor on a Tatum Gentry assist in the first half, and Elle Buenning scored for Evergreen off a Gianna Wiener corner kick for the equalizer in the second half.

Evergreen (16-2-2) played without junior forward Nadia Leunig, who had four goals in her last three matches, due to a pair of two yellow cards in the semifinals.

In the first overtime, Windsor (17-3) had three corners and a series of deep throw-ins yet couldn’t pot a goal. Ambry Plate and Martinez pressured the Cougar’s defense but came away empty handed.

In double overtime, Ella Crotts was fouled from behind just outside the 18-yard line and was carried off the field. Hanna McKay’s resulting free kick hit the crossbar in the 100th minute.

In the 21st minute, Gentry maintained possession as the ball sunk to the boundary line, just wide of the post. She crossed against the flow of the Cougars’ defense to the 12-yard line where Martinez popped a one-touch shot over the outstretched arms of Evergreen goalkeeper Avery Mahnken for a 1-0 lead.

It was an active first half for Bacon who had a punch save on a Wiener shot that was ticketed for the upper 90. In the 28th minute she fought through heavy traffic at the top of the box and came way off her line for a diving interruption of a possession in the 28th minute. The Wizards took a 1-0 lead into the locker room.

But, a free kick by Buenning forced Bacon into a tricky punch save over the net that led to a corner. Weiner’s inswinging kick found Buenning whose scrappy header at point-blank range tied the match 1-1 in the 66th minute.

“I thought it was a very even back and forth game,” Peter Jeans said. “I thought we had to gut something out and find a goal. We found one on a corner kick, on a set piece and that was crucial. We try to play an in-swinger into a dangerous area and sit and attack it. That was a really hard finish but Buenning went and did it.”

Moments later Buenning had a break away look but her run on net was thwarted by Bacon with a slide save. The goal put the Cougars on the front foot as they found their form and fired off repeated shots.

Izzy Clark missed just wide of the frame in the 68th minute and Evergreen held serve in the midfield to quickly establish its attack. The midfield passes Windsor connected on in the first half came up empty and gave way to the Cougars’ transition game.

Despite the Cougars maintaining the run of play, the match went to overtime tied 1-1.

“It was being gutsy, determined and having resilience,” Jeans said. “I’m not sure we were the better team tonight but we got the result.”