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Jonathan Milne's game-winning goal in the season finale against Colorado Extreme Force last weekend marked the perfect end to a perfect season for a group of 11-year-old soccer players from Steamboat Springs.

His team, the Steamboat Savage (10-0-0), collected a 2-1 victory over the Extreme Force (1-6-1) of Northglenn for the squad's 10th win of the season in the Colorado State Soccer Association's U-11 Boys Challenge division.

The victory also helped the local soccer team secure the championship title during its first year in the league.

The Savage completed the year with 30 points, 11 more than the second-place Colorado Storm Blue 1, which is 6-2-1 with one game remaining.

Steamboat coach Clay Rogers said the final game of the season was a hard-fought battle against a solid team.

"Their record doesn't reflect how good a soccer team they had," Rogers said of the Force. "They have lost a lot of games by a single goal and are probably one of the best teams we played this season."

Milne's goal came in the second half of the hotly contested game Sunday in Northglenn.

Wilber Ranieri scored the Savage's first goal of the game, but the Force battled back to tie the contest at 1-1 at the end of the first half.

In the second half, Milne scored the game-winning goal after getting an assist from teammate Jamey Swiggart.

"I yelled to Jamey to drop it back. He did, and I took three steps and fired," Milne said.

The shot sailed over the outreached hands of the Force's goalkeeper for the score with a little less than eight minutes left to play.

"It's been our goal all season to finish 10-0," Milne said. "So we were all pretty nervous until we got that goal."

The Savage defense held the lead down the stretch, and the Steamboat team finished the regular season without a loss.

"The strength of this team was its depth," Rogers said. "We didn't have just one or two top players. ... We had 16 great players."

During the season, the Savage outscored its league opponents 45-3.

The Savage's goalkeepers, Swiggart, Daniel Moran and Kit Croop, combined for seven shutouts.

Taylor Gold, Tommy Lyon, Lance Ostrom, Tyler Gerling, Conner Bomberg and Eric Trousil provided an imposing presence in front of the Savage goal.

Rogers said he had 18 dedicated players show up at the tryouts at the start of the season. He said he typically had all 18 at practices and all 18 show up for games.

A few hours before the team's final league game, the Savage took on the top team in the Classic division in an exhibition game. The Classic division is one step higher than the Challenge division.

The Steamboat team dominated most of the game against the U-11 Explosion Gold. Steamboat got goals from JaceWorden and Milne but gave up a couple of late goals to finish 2-2.

"We just wanted to test the waters and see if we have what it takes to play at the next level," Rogers said. "I feel like we should have won the game and would have been one of the top three teams at that level."

The Savage players include Jake Barker, Bomberg, Croop, Gerling, Noah Glaisher, Gold, Eric Lynch, Lyon, Milne, Moran, Ostrom, Ranieri, Murphy Roberts, Kai Rogers, Swiggart, Trousil, Steve Wilson and Worden.

The Steamboat team does not play in the state's spring league, but Rogers is confident this group will return next season to play at the 12-year-old level.

-- To reach John F. Russell call 871-4209

or e-mail jrussell@steamboat pilot.com