Heartbreaker

East Boys Soccer Stumbles At The End

Story and photos by Reid Neureiter

For the GPHN

The East Angels came up short at the final hurdle in their effort to defend the 5A state soccer title. On Nov. 11 the team fell to the Broomfield Eagles on penalty kicks, after two 15-minute sudden-death overtime periods ended with the match tied at 1-1.    

Fourth-seeded East was on the back foot for much of the title game, with its defense bending, but not breaking. East had survived the Regis semifinal match four days earlier via penalty kicks with the match scoreless after regular and overtime. Senior co-captain goalkeeper Liam Sloan had come up big to stop a Regis penalty, allowing the Angels to progress to the final. Through the first four rounds of the playoffs, Sloan and the Angel defense had not allowed a single goal.

It was more the same in the championship game against seventh-seeded Broomfield, with East’s defense absorbing repeated Broomfield assaults and only the occasional Angel counter-attack. A spectacular bicycle kick by Broomfield senior forward Marcus Von gave Broomfield the lead midway through the second half. But, just two minutes later, Angel senior co-captain Theo Scott equalized with a 24-yard thunderbolt free kick into the upper left corner of Broomfield’s goal.

The 6’2” Scott, a towering presence in the center of East’s defense was later ejected after receiving a second yellow card for a rough tackle. East had to play the rest of regular time, plus the two sudden-death periods with only 10 men.

“It is sad for any player to be given a second yellow card and removed from such an important game,” said Coach Kirk Bast. “Yet I have to give our young men a tremendous amount of credit to overcome such adversity and power through to fight to win until the end. Theo’s competitive spirit carried on through his teammates for the rest of the game which is a huge tribute to them and to the example that Theo and other leaders set for this team.”

Again and again, Broomfield penetrated East’s 18-yard box. Again and again, East repulsed the attacks. The Angels fans’ hearts sank when East committed a foul in the penalty area during the first overtime period. Broomfield’s Von, who had never before missed a penalty kick in a competitive match, stepped to the 12-yard mark and prepared to deliver a sudden-death blow. But, Von’s shot caromed off the crossbar. Despite Broomfield relentless attacks, the game was destined for the lottery of the penalty kick shootout.   

However, one can only play Russian roulette for so long before the luck runs out. With Scott unable to participate, Broomfield stopped two of East’s penalty kicks, giving Broomfield its 9th state title.

East players were in tears on the sidelines, realizing they had come so close to a repeat, only to stumble at the very end. East finished the emotional 2022-23 season with a 15-5 record. DPS’s two-time defending 4A state champion Northfield, also lost their own state final match, losing 0-2 to Battle Mountain and finishing the season with a 19-1 record.