Consider Colorado Academy’s Mustangs as party crashers.
Once again, they forced their way into the Cherry Creek Invitational, otherwise known as the state girls lacrosse final. After all, the Bruins have been in 19 consecutive championship matches since sanctioning in 1998.
But Colorado Academy remained undeterred. It defended its state title with a dramatic 9-8 victory Wednesday night at Peter Stadium on the campus of the University of Denver. It was the Mustangs’ third championship — they also won in 2000 — and perhaps their most-thrilling.
With 4:04 to play, attack Claire Wright cut across in front of the goal, took a pass from Maddie Webster, and deposited the winning goal. Wright also scored the game’s first goal and added another before halftime, but her last one certainly is one she’ll remember.
How good was it?
“It’s pretty good,” Wright said. “I’m so excited and so glad we could win it for our team and our seniors and Emma (Richards, another senior who’s injured). This season was for them … and it was fun to wrap up the season this way.
“I just came cross the middle. It was sweet.”
In finishing 17-0, Colorado Academy dropped Cherry Creek (17-2) to 10-9 in final matches. The Bruins, who last won it all in 2013, also have won 58 consecutive rounds of playoffs leading to championship matches.
“It’s great,” Wright said.
The Mustangs, also behind Sydney Prokupek, who scored two goals, and Lauren Russell, who added three, led for most of the match until the Bruins took advantage of turnovers and tied it at 7, then took the lead at 8-7 with 6:40 to play.
Pearl Schwartz, Randi Mostellar and Eliza Radochonski kept forcing the play for Cherry Creek and brought it back after trailing 6-2.
But a goal by Prokupek, a junior, accounted for the last tie at 8 with 4:55 to play, Wright scored less than a minute later and the Mustangs worked their delay game. They weathered two good tries in the final seconds by the Bruins.
The Mustangs also won a one-goal match in the semifinals, 9-8 over Kent Denver.
