Field Hockey: Regis Jesuit won the Colorado Academy and won the second state championship in six months

DENVER – They’ve done it again.

At All-City Stadium on Monday night, the No. 1 Regis Jesuit field hockey team won 1-0 in the Colorado Academy 2nd State Championship. For the defending Raiders, it was the third state championship in four years and the first time the team was repeated as the state champion after the Colorado Academy won consecutive Titles in 2014 and 2015.

“It felt so amazing,” Raiders senior Katie Loftus said. “I’m just so proud of our whole team because this is what we wanted at the beginning of the season and we made it happen. So I’m really happy for us. It’s so special, especially for the elderly.”

As he has been so many times throughout his senior season, Loftus was a hero in the crook of Monday’s title.

With 33.1 seconds left in the first quarter, Loftus scored the only goal of the game that lasted until the final buzzer against the Colorado Academy offense, with the state’s top two scorers sophomore Zoe Martin (64 points) and senior Barrett Trigg (50). ). Loftus finished second in the state for the season with 18 goals and third with a total of 47 points.

Loftus also noted that the Raiders were proud of how they were able to win the championship during an unusual C-season in April and turn to defend their crown just six months later. It was a unique achievement that also impressed Regis Jesuit head coach Spencer Wagner.

“An unbeatable achievement,” Wagner joked. “I don’t think anyone can ever win two championships in one year again. The early goal certainly helped, and I think we won the first half, but they won the second half, only in terms of speed. We were tired and hungry for a handicap. We were honestly ready to it’s a draw and we’re going for overtime.I thought that was going to happen and we prepared mentally.We knew by this game we were going to face a really good opponent and this should be a steady outcome and it almost was.

Regis Jesuit was required to take advantage of the phenomenal defense. Exclude a goal! but the paint was rejected.

“It was a really well-played, tight game and so you really want the state championship to go,” Colorado Academy head coach Veronica Scott said. “You don’t want it to be heavy on one side or the other. Respect for Regis. They came here and knew how to play, they play well and they have their own structure. I like that even if you know how to play against them, they still play well. I was really impressed of our girls, especially making adjustments and picking up pace in the second half.

“But you still have to score.”

The Colorado Academy’s victory on Monday night would have been the Mustangs ’second championship in three years. The Regis Jesuit program has now won three titles in its history. The Colorado Academy has won six.

To reach the finals, Regis Jesuit won No. 5 in the Arapahoen Warriors first-ever state semi-finals. In the opposite semifinal, Colorado Academy defeated Kent Denver and held Monday’s title match.