Grandview bounces Kadets

AURORA - There's no other way to put it. Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Grandview in the 5A state girls soccer quarterfinals was a bitter one for Air Academy.

First, Grandview scored what could only be considered a fluky goal when the ball bounced over the hands of Air Academy goalie Caitlyn Moses. Then, miscommunication in the defensive backfield resulted in the Wolves' game-winner and a heart-wrenching ending to the Kadets' season Tuesday night at Legacy Stadium.

"The effort was amazing. The whole season they've done that," Kadets coach Nancy Sibley said. "It was a tough loss. I'm not sure the better team won tonight."

Nevertheless, it's top-seeded Grandview (16-1-1) which advanced to Saturday's 5A state semifinals at Englewood's Pirate Field to face fifth-seeded Cherry Creek, a 1-0 winner over Arapahoe. Meanwhile, Air Academy's first trip to the state quarterfinals in 10 years won't soon be forgotten, but, quite possibly, for all of the wrong reasons.

Most of the first half was played with Grandview on the attack, but the Wolves didn't put the ball into the net until Taylor Skogg's boot from 20 yards out off the right wing took a high bounce over Moses and into the goal.

"I felt a little bad about the first one, but not really," Grandview coach Bruce Brown said.

Freshman goalkeeper Melinda Alvey started the second half for the Kadets.

The move initially worked as Alvey held things in check long enough for Air Academy (13-3-2) to even the score in the 50th minute on an Alex Moore goal. The ball bounced around in front of the Grandview net before Brittany Harvey's pass found its way to Moore, who booted it home.

"Alex's been going up and down, but she really turned it on at the right time," Sibley said.

That's how things stood for the next 15 minutes before a miscue in the Air Academy backfield allowed Alexsys Tamayo's shot from the left wing to split the defenders and get past Alvey.

That was all the breathing room Grandview, which outscored its first two playoff foes 16-0, would need.

"I don't think we ever gave up," Sibley said.

Air Academy had a shot go off the crossbar in the 72nd minute. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak.