Staff Report

Don’t expect Evangelical Christian to try match Basalt’s firepower when the two teams meet today in the first round of the Class 3A girls soccer state tournament at 4 p.m. at Basalt High School.

There are very few teams with the offensive arsenal of Western Slope champion Basalt and, judging by the Eagles’ regular-season scores, they aren’t one of those few.

The Eagles (8-4), who enter the tournament as the No. 14 seed out of the Tri-Peaks League, have netted more than two goals in just three games this season. The No. 3-seed Longhorns, conversely, have only been held to less than three goals twice this season.

So the best approach for the Eagles may be the turtle strategy – hunker down, try to withstand the barrage, then emerge during a Longhorn lapse and try to steal the game 1-0 or 2-0 with a quick transition goal.

Evangelical may have the defense to pull it off, having allowed opponents to score more than one goal in a game just twice this season. The Longhorns, however, are on a roll that earned them their highest seed ever in the tournament.

Basalt (12-1) is in the midst of an 11-game winning streak in which it has outscored opponents 53-3. The last goal the team allowed came in a 4-1 victory over Vail Mountain on April 8. Since then Basalt goalie Autumn Caughern has threaded together an eight-game shutout streak.

Maddie Hoffman (19 goals, five assists) and Ashley Eaton (13 goals, 15 assists) lead the Longhorn attack and are both among Class 3A’s offensive leaders. Shannon Hutton and Ukare Sano are also dangerous with seven goals and eight assists each.

If Basalt wins today, the Longhorns will host the winner of the No. 6 Bishop Machebeuf versus No. 11 St. Mary’s contest, also slated for today.If Basalt wins today, the Longhorns will host the winner of the No. 6 Bishop Machebeuf versus No. 11 St. Mary’s contest, also slated for today.