Cougar soccer snaps Silver Creek streak

After a tough loss earlier in the week, the Niwot High girls soccer team bounced back in a big victory Thursday night, April 10, delivering a gritty 2-1 win over rival Silver Creek High School and ending the Raptors' eight-year win streak in the matchup.

It was a high-intensity contest from the opening whistle, and the Cougars found success in the first half from sophomore Ava Inguagiato, who buried a first-half goal to put Niwot on the board. Silver Creek tried to take the upper hand heading into halftime, but a game-saving defensive stop from sophomore Liz Robbins on a breakaway kept the match tied at 1-1.

"Keep up the intensity," Niwot Head Coach Stephen Dimit told his players at halftime. "I thought that we started the game with a ton of intensity and energy, and the challenge for the second half was keeping it up, raising it, and they did."

The Cougars responded. Just minutes before the breakthrough, freshman Janie Holmes nearly gave Niwot the lead with a powerful shot that rattled off the crossbar, signaling that momentum was shifting.

Then, with 18:26 left in the game, the game-winner came during a chaotic sequence in front of the net. After Inguagiato delivered a dangerous corner kick into the box, the ball pinballed between players as the Cougars launched a relentless attack.

Freshman Sonya Holmes fired the first shot, followed quickly by junior Rylie Fletemeyer and senior Tori Villavicencio, but each attempt was blocked by Silver Creek's defense. Finally, the ball bounced to freshman Tori Biffle, who stayed composed amid the chaos and found the back of the net to give Niwot the lead.

The Raptors pressed hard in the closing minutes, but Niwot stood strong. Junior goalkeeper Mariah Fletemeyer came up with a crucial save off a free kick, and the Cougars closed out the match to secure the long-awaited win.

It marked Niwot's first victory over Silver Creek since a 2-1 overtime victory in 2017.

"It feels amazing," Dimit said. "Yesterday, we talked about the last time we won. The team got to see a picture, how happy the players were after winning that game. And they just got to recreate that picture right there, so it's a really cool moment for them."

The win followed a 3-1 loss to Timnath High School on Tuesday, April 8, a match that started with promise but ultimately slipped away. The Cougars opened with strong early pressure from Villavicencio, sophomore Diya Mehta, Biffle, and senior Madison Ackerman. But a handball in the box gave the Cubs a penalty kick, which they converted with 33:50 left in the first half.

Despite several standout moments, including a fingertip save from goalkeeper Mariah Fletemeyer, a strong midfield presence from Inguagiato, and goal attempts from Sonya Holmes and Rylie Fletemeyer, Timnath proved tough to break down.

Biffle scored just before the half off a well-placed forward pass from sophomore Mirjam Bos, but two second-half goals from the Cubs sealed the Cougars' defeat.

Now sitting 4-4-1, the Cougars will look to build on the momentum from their statement win against Silver Creek into a pair of upcoming home games. On Tuesday, April 15, the Cougars will face Fairview High School, which enters the match 5-2. Then on Thursday, April 17, they will take on rival Skyline High School, currently 1-8-1. The rivalry matchup has ended in a 0-0 draw the past two seasons, setting the stage for another showdown.

"We are really excited to see Skyline again," said Mariah Fletemeyer. "It's an amazing opportunity every year to be able to compete with another rival, and I know that both teams are ready to come out and win."

Both games are set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. at the Art Stapp Sports Complex at Niwot High School.