Aspen lacrosse teams pull off first-round playoff sweep of GJ, Telluride
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
The postseason got underway for high school lacrosse teams on Tuesday, with Aspen and Roaring Fork combining to win all three of their first-round games.
On the boys’ side, No. 15 seed Aspen held off No. 18 Grand Junction, winning 10-7 on the AHS turf. The Skiers, once just 2-5, have now won five straight games as their season continues.
“It’s trust the system, trust the process. The boys never gave up. They worked hard in practice every single day,” AHS coach Tommy Cox said of the team’s late-season resurgence. “They did what we asked them. It was the process of you peak in May. You don’t want to peak in February, and they lived to that and it’s showing on the field right now.”
Next, the AHS boys (9-7) will play No. 2 Cheyenne Mountain in Class 4A’s second round. That game is currently scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday in Colorado Springs. The Red-Tailed Hawks (12-2) had a first-round bye.
“The message is we can beat any team — Any Given Sunday,” Cox said. “I’ve been preaching that all year. We are on an upward trajectory to peak at the end of May. We are going to prepare as best we can and show the state what we are all about.”
The Glenwood Springs boys lacrosse team, seeded No. 21 in 4A, plays at No. 12 Windsor in their first-round game on Wednesday. That contest is scheduled for 3 p.m., at Windsor.
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Aspen High School’s Andrew Palmaz controls the ball in the boys lacrosse playoff game against Grand Junction on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, on the AHS turf. The Skiers won, 10-7, to advance.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Aspen High School’s Ryder Cohan controls the ball in the boys lacrosse playoff game against Grand Junction on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, on the AHS turf. The Skiers won, 10-7, to advance.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Aspen High School boys lacrosse coach Tommy Cox watches as the players celebrate moments after beating Grand Junction on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in the first round of the Class 4A state tournament on the AHS turf. The Skiers won, 10-7, to advance.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Aspen High School’s Tanner Benson, right, controls the ball in the boys lacrosse playoff game against Grand Junction on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, on the AHS turf. The Skiers won, 10-7, to advance.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Aspen High School’s Landon Thurber, right, controls the ball in the boys lacrosse playoff game against Grand Junction on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, on the AHS turf. The Skiers won, 10-7, to advance.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Aspen, Roaring Fork girls advance
In the girls’ bracket, No. 10 Aspen battled past No. 23 Telluride, winning 11-9 late Tuesday on the AHS turf. Unlike the boys game, which was played earlier, the girls played in intense snow for most of their contest.
The Skiers, who beat Telluride 17-5 in their season opener on March 8, got a much stiffer test from the Miners this time around.
“I thought it was going to be a little bit of a different game,” AHS coach Kaely Wolf said. “Telluride came to play today. I don’t know if we expected that or not, but we knew it was going to be a tough battle.”
With the victory, Aspen (11-5) will next play Thursday at No. 7 Green Mountain in the second round. A time had not been set as of Tuesday evening. The Rams of Lakewood had a first-round bye.
“Attitude is everything,” Wolf said of facing a tougher Front Range team. “The way that we step into that game — excited, having fun, having a good attitude — that’s going to win it for us. Wanting to be there. These Denver teams are tough.”
Also on the winning side Tuesday was Roaring Fork girls lacrosse. As the No. 11 seed, the host Rams beat No. 22 Rampart in Carbondale, 15-6.
Next, RFHS will play at No. 6 Northfield in the second round on Thursday.
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Aspen High School’s Haley Schmela controls the ball in the girls lacrosse playoff game against Telluride on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, on the snowy AHS turf. The Skiers won, 11-9, to advance.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Aspen High School and Telluride players battle for the ball in the girls lacrosse playoff game on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, on the snowy AHS turf.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Aspen High School’s Mia Mottier controls the ball in the girls lacrosse playoff game against Telluride on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, on the snowy AHS turf. The Skiers won, 11-9, to advance.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Aspen High School’s Haley Schmela controls the ball in the girls lacrosse playoff game against Telluride on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, on the AHS turf. The Skiers won, 11-9, to advance.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Aspen High School’s Haley Schmela, right, battles for the ball in the girls lacrosse playoff game against Telluride on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, on the snowy AHS turf.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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