Niwot girls soccer holds off Skyline

High school soccer in March is not known for its great weather or its top-notch play, and Niwot's home debut on March 16 against Skyline was a case in point-at least in the first half. Fortunately for those in the Cougars half of the stands, the home team was able to overcome the sluggish start, and eventually came away with a hard-fought 1-0 victory. Afterwards, third year head coach Jenna Machado explained that the youthful team has yet to find its identity, but the new dynamics are starting to emerge.

"We just have to transition into getting into the flow, and trying to figure out what our style of play is," she said. "After losing Kiera [Flanagan] and Maddie [Borncamp], we just need to figure out our new top scorers and who's going to step up to do that."

Flanagan and Borncamp combined for 19 goals and 12 assists in 2021, but were among seven varsity seniors to graduate. Candidates to replace the two include midfielder Tiffany Yie, a junior with nine goals in 2021, and sophomore Margeaux Boyer, who had five. Other returning varsity players include senior Avery Verbeck, one of Niwot's few bright spots in the playoff loss to Windsor last season; junior Hannah Barrett; senior Grace Crall, and junior defender Mia Dumler. Machado also expects to see offensive output from first-year players Desta Soma, Sophia Guglielmi, Kaia Johnson, and Tracy Yu, who also plays tennis for Niwot. "She's an excellent athlete, and a wonderful addition," Machado said of the sophomore.

But neither Niwot veterans nor newcomers could get much going against Skyline as the game progressed through the first 40 minutes, and both teams floundered. Passes were often off the mark, and shots on goal, while plentiful, were not particularly on target. Neither the Falcons or Cougars could execute plays or sustain pressure on the other's defense, and no one was surprised when the score was tied at nil at the break.

"We were very not great in the first half, to be nice about it, so we're going to pay the piper right now for the low effort level," Machado said, as her team trudged up the hill to run post-game laps.

It was a different story in the second half, however. Niwot's offense finally managed to find that aforementioned flow against Skyline, as passes started connecting, and wings found room on the outside. Most of the action shifted from the middle third to the Falcons third, as the Cougars dominated possession. Finally, the increased pressure paid off. In the 48th minute, junior Martha McCarthy redirected a shot misplayed by the Skyline keeper, giving Niwot a 1-0 lead.

That would go on to be the game-winning goal, despite many more chances from the Niwot quartet of Barrett, Yie, Crall, and Verbeck. At the other end of the field, senior keeper Carly Toothaker and the defenders saw limited action in the second half, but repelled what little pressure came from Skyline's attack to seal the shut-out. With the win, Niwot evened up its record in the young season to 1-1.

Which means there's still a lot of soccer to be played in 2022, and a lot of opportunities to develop into a team capable of making a long run in the Class 4A postseason. After falling short in 2021, that's the "number one goal" for Machado, and, this year, she feels like all of the pieces may finally be in place.

"We have a lot of talent, it's just getting it to work together, like building a puzzle" she said. "Last season was so short, and for many of them, it was their first year on varsity. So this is a big change."

The girls soccer team is on spring break, and will be back on the pitch on March 30 against Mead.

See more photos from Niwot's win over Skyview here.