Steamboat Pilot & Today

In truth, it would have been sweet no matter what. The details don’t much matter when your team hasn’t won a varsity game in its four years of existence since the program was restarted in 2010.

But the details made the sweetest of nights all the sweeter for the Steamboat Springs High School girls lacrosse team. The Sailors showed their strength by gaining a big early lead against Liberty, in Colorado Springs, then saw it shrink away before flexing their muscle for one mighty final push that delivered a commanding 14-6 victory Thursday night on the road.

“It’s huge,” said coach Betsy Frick, who helped lift the program from nonexistence, guided it through two years of junior varsity competition and last year pushed it to the varsity level.

“The girls have been playing for four years,” she said. “We won a couple JV games, but this is our first varsity win since these girls started playing, and they are very happy.”

Steamboat did it by showcasing a new offensive depth that wasn’t there in last year’s 0-14 campaign. The squad got seven goals from Nikki Fry, three from Emily Spiess, two from Aleigh Aurin and one each from Teagann Yeager and Kaelyn Kauffman.

Add in a dominating performance from McKenzie Repollo in goal — she had nine saves in each half — and everything was there for Steamboat’s first victory.

The Sailors led 7-2 after the first half. That lead shrank to two, but Steamboat scored seven of the final eight goals to end with power.

“I was really happy with how they came back after that lull,” Frick said.

The win evens Steamboat’s record at 1-1. The squad is back in action Friday against Pine Creek.

“We have a chance in this one, too,” Frick said. “This isn’t the last game we’re going to win this season.”

To reach Joel Reichenberger, call 970-871-4253 or email jreichenberger@SteamboatToday.com