Elly Bowers was where she wanted to be in the shootout game during the Class 5A semifinal girls soccer game on May 15 at the University of Denver’s Ciber Field.
Bowers was the sophomore goalkeeper for Castle View who was asked to contain Broomfield in a shootout after the teams battled to a 3-3 tie in regulation time and two overtimes.
She made two key saves in the first overtime. Then she knocked down the last attempted Broomfield shot in the shootout to give Castle View a 6-5 shootout win and advance the team to the state finals.
Sixth-seeded Castle View (13-3-3) will face No. 5 seed Fossil Ridge (14-1-4) on May 21 at Switchbacks Weidner Field in Colorado Springs in the state championship game.
“It was amazing and the pressure was very high,” said Bowers. “And I love the pressure.”
The shootout was just as tight as the regulation game and two overtimes, but Bowers finally ended the game by getting in front of the Eagles’ final penalty kick attempt with the Sabercats holding a one-shot lead.
“I have training and I moved the right way,” added Bowers. “You have to guess the right way. It feels so amazing to be in the state finals. I couldn’t be happier.”
Castle View got off to a quick start in the game as Julia Dern scored in the first minute and Adelaide Ford gave the Sabercats a 2-0 lead with a goal with just over seven minutes gone in the contest.
Broomfield, however, came back and Chloe Tien’s tally with 22 seconds remaining before halftime tied the score a 2-2.
Adyson Kissinger pushed Castle View ahead 3-2 with a goal in the 51st minute, but the Eagles tied the game on Victoria Choren’s goa,l and the game went into the first of two 15-minute overtimes.
“We had a couple leads, but they (Broomfield) didn’t stop, they kept going,” said Castle View Coach Mark Burfeind. “Elly had a fantastic game. She made the saves she needed to make, and she made the saves on two of the PKs. It feels unbelievable to be going to the state championship game.”
During the shootout, Castle View got goals from Dern, Isabel Ugland, Larissa Puls, Delaynee Tru, Alexandra Zeats and Allyson Raymond.
In the other Class 5A semifinal game on May 15 at Ciber Field, Valor Christian controlled possession for most of the second half but failed to score in a 1-0 loss to Fossil Ridge.
“We just couldn’t get one in,” said Valor Coach Brett O’Connor. “I’m proud of these girls. They definitely overachieved. At the beginning of the season, a lot of them thought, ‘Are we going to make the playoffs?’ And then we made this final run.”
Valor, eighth seeded in the state tournament, finished with an 11-4-2 record.