GILPIN COUNTY - Qualifying for the CHSAA Girls Soccer State Championships for the second year in a row, the Eagles played their first-ever home match of those playoffs on May 8.

A single-elimination format: if you win, you’re in; if you lose, you’re out.

Gilpin would be facing the Fountain Valley Danes. The two teams were familiar with one another, since they had played six days earlier in Colorado Springs. The Eagles lost that match 2-1. The pressure would be on to avenge that loss and advance in the tournament.

Originally slated for May 7, the game was rescheduled for May 8 when over a foot of heavy wet of snow blanketed the field the day before.

In order to get the playing surface ready for the match, assistant soccer coach Tony Thorpe commented beforehand that “It will be all hands on deck.” Armed with shovels and an ATV with a dump bed, those “hands” included a large contingent of students, community members, parents, coaches, teachers, and an athletic director. Even the bleachers were clear of snow by game time.

With neither team giving an inch, the game featured outstanding defensive play by both squads. The first half ended without any goals scored.

The second half between the evenly matched teams brought more of the same. All of the shots on goal were deftly blocked by the goaltenders. Score at the end of regulation: Gilpin 0, Fountain Valley 0.

Fifteen minutes of sudden-death overtime passed without anyone finding the net, so a second overtime period began. If the score was still 0-0 at its end, there would be a shootout to determine the winner.

Seemingly headed in that direction, with less than a minute left to play in the final overtime, the Eagles were awarded a free kick after a penalty at Fountain’s 40-yard line. Adele Fisher’s kick bounced off a defender and was intercepted by Annabelle Aloel. She then passed the ball to Jiselle Osteboe, who dribbled around a Dane and passed to Elise Vincent. Only one defender and a goalkeeper stood in the way of Gilpin destiny.

Fountain’s goalkeeper came far out of the net to lessen Vincent’s shot angle. A perfectly placed kick split the two Fountain players and ricocheted off the post into the net for a Gilpin goal!

Taking time to savor the momentous total-team victory, the players and fans erupted into a joyous celebration that lasted fifteen minutes.

The Eagles had made the Sweet 16 and were headed to the second round of the 2A playoffs scheduled for two days later in Gunnison. Their opponent was to be the Crested Butte Titans.

It would be a tall order to defeat the fourth-seeded Titans, who had made it to last year’s semifinals.

Another defensive battle between two good teams, the score was 0-0 through the first 65 minutes of the contest. Taking nothing away from Gilpin’s historic playoff run, Crested Butte would ultimately prevail by scoring two goals in the last 15 minutes.

Deserving recognition for their exceptional season are: Jiselle Osteboe – A scoring machine. Elise Vincent – A scorer with incredible speed with an all-around game. Adele Fisher – A scorer with great footwork. Jennifer Rodriguez-Jimenez – Another scorer, she has a nose for the ball.

Makenzie Marr – A natural on defense at disrupting opponents’ plays. Faith Ramsey – A versatile player, she brought a spark whether playing midfielder or goalkeeper. Danni Sternlicht – Scored in five straight games, registering clutch goals at key moments. Annabelle Aloel – A tough defender who could be relied upon. Gretchen Osteboe – Her play added substantially to the offense.

Katie and Molly Brennan – Cut from the same cloth, they are both quick and adept at cutting off angles of rival strikers. Jadie DiMauro – Solid at goalkeeper with an 11-save shutout against Fountain Valley in the first round of the playoffs. Acadia Bowman, Maddie Lane, and Keira Ferrantte each played crucial minutes in relief.