Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Instead of worrying about the unknowns of Legacy, Rob Bohlmann and the players of the Steamboat Springs girls soccer team are concerning themselves with what they can control how they play.

"That is where 100 percent of our focus is," Bohlmann said. "We proved to be a little Jekkyl and Hyde since spring break. We need to play controlled soccer but find an intensity on defense."

The alternate personalities displayed by the Sailors Tuesday cost them the league title after dropping a 3-2 game to Glenwood Springs. Junior Nikki Garth said it stung everyone, but there is no point reflecting upon a loss with a new season here.

"By now we've regrouped," she said. "Wednesday was sort of a recovery day both physically and mentally."

Senior Andrea Len believed some lessons were learned. The Sailors can't walk out onto the field and go through the motions, particularly against Legacy, the No. 9 team in Class 4A, according to The Rocky Mountain News.

"As seniors, this could be our last game," Len said. "We have worked our butts off for our four years in high school. We are going to give it our all."

Today's regional game is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. at Dudley Field and will pit the No. 2-seeded Sailors, 9-5 overall, against the No. 2-seeded Lightning, 9-2 overall. The winner will advance to the Class 4A soccer Sweet Sixteen of sorts.

Bohlmann said he knows little about Legacy. Len didn't know much either. Both knew the team they will face today is much larger than Steamboat but got shutout twice by Broomfield a team the Sailors hung with for 80 minutes.

"We know it's a private school and that they can recruit and get the best of the best," Len said. "It's a compliment to play them in a way. We don't have that many girls to pick from, but we're to the point in the season that if we pick it up, we can be awesome."

Since the Tuesday loss, the Sailors have had a chance to recover from a grueling five games in seven days stretch. Garth said she doesn't remember enduring a more taxing period of soccer in her three-year high school career. It was hard not to notice the fatigue.

"Five games in seven days definitely took a toll physically and mentally because we were not sharp against Glenwood," Bohlmann said.

Like Len, Bohlmann didn't expect the disappointment from Tuesday to carry over to today's game, particularly from his senior class.

"I don't think there is any question that they will look at this as do or die and make the most of it," he said.

Bohlmann signaled out senior Julie Wernig as one likely ready to explode. She was forced to watch her team fall to Glenwood on Tuesday from the sidelines because of a mandatory one-game suspension she was serving for receiving three yellow cards this season.

Steamboat will need Wernig's ball control and firepower on free kicks from the midfield against the Lightning. Legacy may have been shut out by Broomfield twice during league play this season, but the Lightning also held opponents scoreless seven times in nine wins behind goalie Christy Smith.

In addition to establishing the attack Steamboat wishes to run long runs and cuts met with simple passes the defense must be prepared for whatever Legacy looks to do.

"The challenge will be to pick up on their attacking tendencies from the go, but that's the name of the game anyway."