Rakers racks up two goals as Flatirons Academy captures 2A girls soccer title

COMMERCE CITY – Annabelle Rakers has never been more in the right place at the right time. In the 108th minute of the Class 2A girls soccer state championship game, Abby Downey corralled a pass in the Buena Vista goal box and passed it off directly toward a charging Rakers.

With one touch, the ball bounded into the back of the net, creating an historical moment for Flatirons Academy as it beat the Demons 2-1 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park to claim their first girls soccer title in program history.

“What it means to me is that all the athletes over the last 11 years that I’ve been coaching, this for them as well,” coach Amy Downey said. “Our program was built by each of these players who showed up every day. When we started with 12 players on a roster 11 years ago, they came hard and they pushed each other every day.”

This group needed that internal push, especially when Mae Blazer scored in the 32nd minute to put Buena Vista up 1-0.

Rakers squared everything up as pushed into the box and swept to the right side before finding her window to get her 23rd goal of the year. That came with 23:16 left on the clock, providing a big momentum shift with plenty of game remaining.

“It was definitely a mental challenge for us, but we’ve been preparing for it as a team,” Rakers said. “We’re all able to build each other back up until we could score that next goal. We knew we were still in it.”

Neither team gained an edge through the end of regulation.

In fact, no one really gained an edge in the first overtime period either. It was in the second where everyone started having fun. The Demons were granted an indirect free kick in the box on a back-pass violation by the Bison. The kick bounced off the torso of Brooklynn Day then off the leg of Lauren Faimon before rolling around the box.

Sierra Muller took one last swipe at it for Buena Vista and it was deflected by Downey before getting scooped up by keeper Emy Beren.

“We talked about that yesterday,” Coach Downey said. “We talked about how to handle a weird, freak accident. We saw them stare in shock for a moment then they came back to their mindset. And they executed perfectly.”

And soon after they executed one final play perfectly.

Buena Vista had controlled time of possession for the majority of the two overtime sessions. But when aggressive pass found Downey in the box, it gave the Bison their best opportunity to put things away.

Rakers thought Downey was shooting and was unsure if it was going to get on the frame.

“I had the angle so I decided to take a touch,” Rakers said. “It worked out four us.”

That one touch was good for her second goal and the first championship for the Bison.