To enhance the high school experience by offering student-athletes another option, Gilpin County High School added girls’ soccer to their list of athletic programs in 2023. The response has been overwhelmingly positive with 21 players signing up for the new sport. Scheduling the games has been straightforward enough, but actually getting the contests played in Colorado’s volatile springtime weather has been challenging with several games rescheduled or canceled. For their home game on Thursday, April 27, against Union Colony Prep, snow was forecast.

With two victories under their belt already this year, Co-coaches Suzanne Diekman and Sunny Vincent felt good about their team and were optimistic about their chances against the Union Colony Timberwolves of Greeley. Not long into the first half, Annabelle Aloel scored a goal on a penalty kick from the 30-yard line that Coach Vincent thought, “got the girls excited and set the tone for the rest of the game. We were able to control the ball extremely well and held our opponent to merely two shots on goal.”

The first round of snow in the form of graupel strafed the field driven by a biting wind. As the temperatures became colder, the Gilpin Eagles got hotter. Clad in short shorts with bare skin exposed, many of the girls used their long sleeves as mittens. Despite the conditions, Elise Vincent caught fire with two goals, both assisted by Jiselle Osteboe. Score at halftime: Gilpin 3, Union Colony 0.

Avery Ramsey scored a goal to open the second half. Elise Vincent achieved a hat trick with her third point of the day, compliments of another Jiselle Osteboe assist. The second wave of snow had come and gone and a heavier unrelenting batch settled in when Maddie Sutton fed Jiselle Osteboe the ball for a goal with 10 minutes left to play. Final score: Gilpin 6, Union Colony 0.

Said Coach Sunny Vincent after a convincing victory, “This season has been amazing so far. It is hard to believe we have to play almost half our season in one week. Next week is our last week of the regular season and we have five varsity games and one JV game. Wednesday will be our last home game. We have to play a doubleheader to get in all our make-up games. This will also be senior night and we will celebrate our two senior players by honoring them and their parents in between the two games. Both Suzanne and I are very proud of these girls, they have worked very hard to build this team and to keep pushing when we play tough teams. Our team has proven they can compete in the Mile High League.”