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The drama continues and so does Huskies soccer

Audrey Teague and Battle Mountain soccer and are the defending 4A Slope champions as spring sports start today. Yes, we hope you enjoy the nice spring weather.
Chris Dillmann | Daily file photo

EDWARDS — It may be a plot, people.

The Battle Mountain girls soccer team could be trying to kill us all via heart attack. It is a distinct possibility.

Having gone through nine games during the regular season decided by one goal or fewer, including four overtimes, the Huskies made it 10 on Wednesday, May 9. Somehow everyone is still alive after Battle Mountain squeaked by Sand Creek, 3-2, during their first-round playoff game in Edwards.



Ironically, it fits the script.

“I think they just like one-goal games,” Huskies coach David Cope said. “We had the game comfortably in hand and they were like, ‘Oh, let’s put a few more gray hairs on Cope’s head.’ The other thing is that when you’re at home in a playoff game, you want to get as many kids in the game as possible.”

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Truth be told, however many playoff games the longtime Huskies soccer coach has coached, and it is a ton, he is never more nervous than before a first-rounder. He always has been. He has a list at the ready for penalty kicks, should it come to that.

And in fairness, flushing the bench is a common Cope tactic. Nothing gets youngsters ready for varsity play like the actual thing. Getting “the kids” in is one of many reasons Battle Mountain is a playoff regular in soccer — be it spring or fall.

Audrey strikes

For a while Wednesday’s game was devoid of theatrics because junior Audrey Teague deemed it so.

Logan Nash, Battle Mountain Class of 2015, was probably the purest finisher in the storied program’s history. When Nash cracked her shot, that shot had some mustard on it.

And that brings us to Teague, who did Nash proud on Wednesday. Teague was taken down about five yards outside the box by Sand Creek’s Madeline Shumann in the 18th minute, setting up a free kick.

Teague crushed the free kick so hard the it careened out of the net so quickly it seemed it came off the cross bar. There was actually a brief pause before Huskies fan actually realized that was, indeed, a goal.

“I’ve been working on that free kick all season, drilling it over (the bar),” Teague said. “But I knew it was going to come and I wouldn’t be here without my team.”

As if to emphasize that the first wasn’t a fluke, Teague jumped on a loose ball during the 24th minute and slammed in home with similar force.

“It’s pretty special, (scoring) 18 (goals) in your junior year, with two in a playoff game,” Cope said. “That’s awesome.”

And it gets close

As if required to produce some drama, the Huskies allowed some fast breaks in the second half, but that was merely an invitation for junior goalie Wilder Isom to display her skills. She made several clutch saves, including a complete stoning of Sand Creek’s Zoey Stark.

“Excuse my French, but she was a bad ass,” Teague said. “Wilder kicked some major ass.”

The Scorpions finally broke through with a Jaden Davis goal.

But Battle Mountain’s Avery Weaver had a deft stroke on a challenging angle minutes later to make it 3-1. Davis struck again, making for more drama, but the Huskies finally closed the door.

And with that, Battle Mountain (10-4-1) advance to play No. 1 Windsor on Saturday, May 12.


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