The girls of the Gilpin Eagles Varsity Soccer team have played three games since their school record nine goals in a win against Clear Creek on April 9. Two days later the Eagles traveled to Littleton to face Front Range Christian. Riding a wave of offensive production, Jiselle Osteboe scored three goals, Sterling O’Sullivan two, Elise Vincent one, and Kailee Starkey one, in a 7-1 victory. Sixteen goals in their last two games and a 5-1-1 record had the girls feeling good about their chances in their next match.

Beating number one ranked Denver Christian would be a monumental task in a game where the Eagles were considered heavy underdogs at home. Even with two starters out due to injury or illness, for the first hour of the 80-minute contest Gilpin took as well as they gave, perhaps surprising Denver Christian with their tenacity and the score even at one apiece. Unfortunately, missing two of their key players may have worn the Eagles down and perennial powerhouse Denver Christian prevailed in the end, 5-1.

The Gilpin Eagles’ next match at home pitted them against a very good squad with a comparable record and similar results against common opponents. In a defensive struggle, Bishop Machebeuf scored the only goal of the first half. Down but not out, Gilpin answered with a goal by Elise Vincent to tie the score at one apiece. Goalkeeper Jadie DiMauro kept the Eagles in the game with repeated saves, but finally surrendered a goal to the top left corner of the net under Bishop Machebeuf’s pressure to make the tally 2-1 in favor of the visitors. The Eagles moved one of their defenders to the forward position during the last 10 minutes that was mostly spent on the opponent’s end of the field. Gilpin fired several shots on goal, but none landed in the net. Final score: Bishop Machebeuf 2, Gilpin 1.

Co-coach Sunny Vincent shared, “The last two games were tough. I think we played well against both teams, making great improvements over last year. These girls have come a long way in a short amount of time. Last year against Denver Christian we lost 10-0 and last year against Bishop Machebeuf we lost 6-0. We are holding steady at 12th place in the CHSAA rankings and need to be in the top 16 to make the Regionals. Looking ahead at our schedule, I would love to see us beat one of the elite teams like Skyview, Dawson, or Loveland Classical. With our full team back, we have a fighting chance and are very capable of winning any of those games.”