Battle Mountain girls soccer downs Steamboat, 3-0
Edwards — Battle Mountain girls soccer beat archrival Steamboat Springs, 3-0, on Tuesday for a season sweep to clinch a state playoff spot.
“It’s a pretty nice win for us,” said Huskies senior Haille Hogfeldt, who had two of her team’s three goals.
“It feels really good, especially with everything together — Senior Night, it’s Steamboat, we clinch the playoffs.”
After the Sailors swept the season series last year, the Huskies returned the favor Tuesday. More importantly, the Huskies are back in the playoffs after a one-year absence, the first time the program had missed the playoffs since 2003.
“It’s so nice. Last year was rough, but we have a great group of girls this year,” Hogfeldt said. “To be going back to the playoffs — I think we can do a lot. It’s a special group.”
Battle Mountain upped its record to 9-4-1 overall and 8-3 in the Western Slope League.
The Huskies wrap up the regular season today at Moffat County. Steamboat (9-4-1, 6-4) likely faces a must-win against Palisade at 6 p.m. Friday at Gardner Field.
The Steamboat team had just come off spring break to play in this game.
“We feel good about the effort,” Steamboat coach Rob Bohlmann said. “Where we are for coming off eight days, it was a good showing. Now the focus is on (Palisade). It’s a quick recovery.”
Battle Mountain applied the pressure early in the game, but it wasn’t until the 24th minute that the Huskies broke the seal on this one. From 30 yards out, Hogfeldt faked her first shot. The second attempt was a laser into the back of the net.
“The fake shot is one of my favorite moves,” she said. “I love to shoot a lot. I’ve practiced driving the ball every day for the past seven years now. It went off my foot right.”
Logan Nash got a ball from Molly Phannenstiel to give the Huskies some breathing room in the 56th minute.
Then Hogfeldt blasted in a free kick with seven minutes remaining to ice it.
“I thought we played really well,” Huskies coach David Cope said. “We had some nice spells of possessions. It was a nice way to go out on our homefield if, in fact, we’re away for the playoffs.”
The Huskies will find out their playoff draw Sunday. In the meantime, Steamboat’s playoff fate is up in the air. The
Western Slope region gets five spots. Glenwood Springs, Battle Mountain and Durango each have clinched a spot. Steamboat, Palisade and Montrose are competing for the final two berths.
“We’ve got a lot to play for,” Bohlmann said.
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