Pace about to pick up on the Colorado girls soccer pitch

Come Thursday evening, the pace of the spring season is going to ramp up at an aggressive pace for the Peak to Peak (Lafayette) girls soccer team.

Starting with a trip to No. 4 Jefferson Academy (Broomfield), four of the Pumas' next five games will come against opponents ranked in the most recent CHSAANow.com poll. That includes a non-league showing against No. 2 and defending state champion Colorado Academy (Denver), and a visit from top-ranked Kent Denver (Englewood) on April 26.

Eight games will come in a span of 19 days. But Peak to Peak coach Joseph Swanson said with a stretch like the one his team is about to embark upon, there isn't really time to worry about who is ranked where.

"There isn't that psychological disadvantage as far as the opponent you're playing," Swanson said. "The kids know who the good teams are, but there is definitely the psychology of having a string of those games together."

Given that the fifth-ranked Pumas (4-1-1) had only played six games headed into Tuesday's league contest with Manual (Denver), thinking about the end of the season seems premature. But with spring break and weather postponements, the spring season always seems to travel at an incredibly fast rate.

Swanson said spring break always throws programs for a loop because not everyone in the state – or even individual leagues – are on break at the same time.

"It really does have a big impact, along with the weather we've been having the last couple years," he said. "It's a huge impact trying to get the schedule in in a timely fashion. It seems like on a yearly basis we have four or five games in seven days. You barely get enough time for recovery."

After dropping the opener to Erie, Peak to Peak has won four of its past five games. The only exception was a scoreless tie against current No. 3 The Academy (Westminster). Despite losing some key seniors to graduation a year ago, the team has been trending upward behind solid leadership and a strong freshman class. Eleven players have scored goals thus far, and a pair of freshmen keepers have allowed only a combined four goals.

The stretch run will provide plenty of tests for Peak to Peak, but Swanson wants to keep his squad as fresh as possible and focused on what it does best.

"I tend to try and keep it a little lighter, shorten practices or do less intense practices. Games bring all the intensity you need," he said. "When you're looking at opponents that quick in succession, you can't really worry too much. You have to really look at yourselves and say ‘ladies, these are the things we do well and these are the things we're going to continue to try to do well. You can control how you play."

As the final month of regular-season play commences, here is a look at some games to watch in each classification:

Class 5A
Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch) vs. Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch), 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 19, Shea Stadium
Two current unbeaten squads with sights set on the Continental League crown match up in one week. No. 5 Rock Canyon won its first six games behind strong defense and five goals from sophomore Jamie Tatum.
Mountain Vista has only a handful of games remaining. Juniors Mia Bonifazi and Katie Joella have five goals apiece.

Columbine (Littleton) at Grandview (Aurora), 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 3, Legacy Stadium
It isn't a league contest, but the past two state champions – and two of the current top three teams in the classification – clash before the start of the playoffs. Grandview junior Nicole Lyubenko has six goals for the Wolves, whose only blemish was a scoreless tie against No. 2 Mountain Vista. Columbine senior Tatum Barton already has 15 goals to her credit.

Rocky Mountain (Fort Collins) at Fairview (Boulder), 6 p.m., Thursday, May 5
It's possible a wide-open Front Range League could be decided by these two teams in the regular-season finale.
No. 4 Fairview is coming off a tie with sixth-ranked Broomfield. The Knights have already played three overtime games, and junior Tea Smith has seven goals. Rocky Mountain's only loss came to Grandview and the Lobos tied Columbine. Sophomore Jade Gosar leads the team with five goals.

Class 4A
Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) at Lewis-Palmer (Monument), 7 p.m., Thursday, April 14
A top-two showdown and a rematch of last spring's title game featuring these Pikes Peak League foes is fast approaching. The Indians have dropped three of their first six, but victories over The Classical Academy (Colorado Springs) and Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) show just what the team can accomplish behind a balanced lineup. Lewis-Palmer won five in a row after falling 1-0 to TCA. Junior Brianna Alger has 12 of the team's 28 goals.

Valor Christian vs. Wheat Ridge, 7 p.m., Monday, April 25, Lakewood Memorial Field
There are plenty of tough contests in the Jeffco League lineup, but this matchup is always among the top.
No. 4 Wheat Ridge has won six in a row after tying Ponderosa (Parker) in the season opener. Senior Susan Whitney and sophomore Macie Browne each have seven goals. The third-ranked Eagles were handed their first loss by defending state champion Cheyenne Mountain last week. Freshman Cori Dyke has paced Valor Christian with eight goals and five assists.

Class 3A
Peak to Peak at Colorado Academy, 4 p.m., Tuesday, April 19
The 3A Metro League is always loaded, and this spring is no exception. The two-time defending 3A champion Mustangs have dropped a pair of 1-0 decisions but also have five shutouts to their credit. Junior Rebecca Thompson leads the Pumas with four goals.

St. Mary's (Colorado Springs) at Fountain Valley (Colorado Springs), 4:15 p.m., Thursday, April 21
Save for a shutout at the hands of Kent Denver, Fountain Valley has been off to a strong start. The Danes have outscored opponents 27-6 and junior McKenna Monk has nine goals and senior Carter Gwinn owns eight.
St. Mary's started the season with two losses to 4A opponents, but bounced back with three consecutive shutouts. Sophomore Scooter Ross has scored seven goals.

Kent Denver at Jefferson Academy, 6 p.m., Thursday, April 28
It's too early to say how the Metro League standings will shake out, but the Sun Devils and Jaguars could decide things late in the season. Kent Denver's only setback came to 5A Smoky Hill (Aurora) by one goal, and the team has already knocked off Colorado Academy in a double-OT thriller. Four players have scored a combined 13 goals, paced by junior Isabelle Roseto's four goals. Fourteen players have scored for the Jefferson Academy, led by freshman Kristen Capan's five goals. The state runner-up's only two losses came to 4A Mullen and The Academy.

Class 2A
Dawson School (Lafayette) at Vail Mountain, 4 p.m., Friday, May 6
A rematch of the 2015 title game pits No. 2 Dawson and No. 1 Vail Mountain. The Gore Rangers haven't allowed a goal thus far, and four players have combined for 18 of the team's 24 goals. Dawson has scored 33 goals in five games, with junior Hannah Isenhart leading the way with 11 goals.