Girls' soccer: TCA loses goalie but stays undefeated

WOODLAND PARK • Even when teams are at their best, The Classical Academy presents a hurdle that proves too high to clear.

TCA defeated Woodland Park 5-0 on Saturday, but the Titans might face an obstacle of their own after goalkeeper Tita Garcia rolled her ankle late in the game.

The Titans recorded their eighth straight shutout and 12th of the season. The only goal Pikes Peak No. 5 TCA (13-0) has allowed came on April 1 against The Evangelical Christian Academy.

“We played as well as we could play,” Woodland Park coach Andrew Pappadakis said. “We’re not good enough to beat a team like that.”

Garcia rolled her ankle while attempting a goal kick and was taken to urgent care after the game.

“We’re hoping that’s all it is,” TCA coach Blake Galvin said. “We don’t want to lose her. She’s great in the net. We’re going to go forward, assuming that we’re not losing her.”

Despite the lopsided final, Galvin thought his team didn’t play up to par in the first half. Before the first goal was scored by center midfielder Joanie Jacks at the 16-minute mark, the Panthers had nearly matched TCA in scoring chances, 3-2.

“The first half we just came out a little slow,” Galvin said. “Woodland Park did a great job and came out very hard. It put us back on our heels just a little bit. We weren’t ready for as hard as they came out and as physical as they were. But we adjusted.”

The physical play resulted in a yellow card for the Titans’ Hannah Blake around the 15-minute mark. She and Woodland Park goalie Kinsey Hess collided at the top of the goalkeeper’s box, resulting in the infraction. Woodland Park freshman Shannon Bingen also received a yellow card in the first half when she ran into Garcia.

On Jacks’ goal, she and a pair of Panthers ended up on the turf after a collision near midfield. Jacks quickly set the ball down for a free kick and let the ball fly before anyone could get organized.

“We’d practiced and practiced fast free kicks,” Jacks said. “Our coach talked to us about looking up and if there’s no wall set up, then go ahead and kick it. I looked up and saw the corner wide open. So I just tried to take it and it went in.”

Jacks got her second goal 5 minutes into the second half to make it 2-0. Caitlyn Troupe added another 40 seconds later. Tionne Webb and Molly Bender also scored.