All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Photo by Ed Navarro Connor Mikle, senior defender, goes up for a header against Longmont.
Photo by Ed Navarro Dylan Campbell handles the ball as Brian Oates (14) looks on for Niwot against Longmont.
Niwot keeper Mario Munoz allowed more than two goals only two times this season: in the Cougars’ season opener, a 4-3 victory over Skyview, and in the Cougars’ final game, a 3-1 loss to crosstown rival Longmont on Oct 18. In between, Munoz and the Cougar defense allowed just 11 goals over 13 games, the fewest in the Northern League.
For first year Coach Stephen Dimit, Munoz and the stout defense have been a crucial factor in the team’s success this season.
“Mario is lights out,” Dimit said. “He will make at least one huge save every game.
“But also, we haven’t been giving up a lot of good shots on goal,” he continued. “Until the Longmont game, we completely locked down most teams.”
Niwot’s offense, on the other hand, has been inconsistent. While the defense kept games close, scoring was often an issue, especially in close games.
“We’ve missed some good opportunities this season,” Dimit admitted. “Attacking and finishing well is something we’ve been working on all year. We’ve been working on replacing the goal production from the past few years. That’s part of the growing process this year.”
Goals were again the issue in Niwot’s loss to the Trojans, even though senior Alex Arnold put the Cougars on the board first. Arnold, with eight goals on the season, emerged as the Cougars’ top scorer in the final stretch of the season.
“He’s really come into his own,” Dimit said.
Junior Tyler Crall had three shots on goal in the loss, while junior mid-fielder Andres Montealegre, the team’s assist leader, added two more shots, but neither player could find the back of the net.
With the loss to Longmont, Niwot finished the season with a 9-6 record overall, but with just a 3-4 record in the Northern League, putting them in 7th place. However, the Cougars are currently 13th in CHSAA RPI rankings, and will face off against defending 4A champs Evergreen in the first round of the playoffs at Niwot High School on Wednesday, Oct. 26.
“I’m really happy with the first round,” Dimit mused. “We get to play one of the best teams, and that’s one of the things you hope for. We’re fortunate to be able to host it, too.”
The winner of the Niwot/Evergreen game will meet either 4-seed Air Academy or 29-seed Kennedy on Nov. 1. The 4A championship game will be held Nov. 12.
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