Any reasonable local soccer critic could argue that Cherry Creek strikers Libby Geraghty and Meg Halvorson are among the best scoring duos in Colorado, a state ripe with prep talent.
But Bruins coach Jim Schneider takes the assessment of his two crucial senior captains a step further, and minces no words in doing so.
“If teams try to double-team one of them, that lets the other one loose, and their creativity off the ball and their finishing ability is unparalleled,” Schneider said. “So do I think they’re the best strikers in the state? You (darn) well bet I do.”
Schneider’s nicknamed the duo “the surgeons” for the way they’ve been carving up opposing defenses so far, Geraghty to the tune of 34 points (14 goals, 6 assists) and Halvorson right behind her with 31 points (10 goals, 11 assists).
Together, the seniors headline what Schneider calls “the deepest, most talented soccer team that I’ve ever coached at Cherry Creek,” as the No. 2 Bruins (11-0-1) aim for the program’s third Class 5A state championship and first since 2012.
“It’s very tough to break our starting lineup, and our practices have been extremely competitive,” Schneider said. “We have kids on our team who don’t start and I believe they would start on our opponents’ teams, so it’s forced all of the girls to be sharp and focused all the time, and it’s showing in our games.”
Along with Geraghty (University of Colorado) and Halvorson (University of Denver), Cherry Creek’s other college pledges include junior keeper Mia Raben (Wake Forest), sophomore midfielder Elle Gill (Miami of Ohio), senior defender Natalie Evans (Westminster College, Utah) and senior defender Allie Dwinnell (Macalester College, Minn.) on a roster that already has its chemistry down after graduating just four seniors from 2016.
“We didn’t lose much from last season, so we already know each other’s tendencies out on the field,” Meg Halvorson said. “That helps us in close matches, because it helps us keep possession and create more chances on offense.”
Mirroring the Bruins’ high-powered offense is a defense that, like Grandview’s airtight state championship defenses of the past couple seasons, is willing to “do the dirty work” required to keep elite teams from finding the net.
“As a coaching staff we’ve emphasized playing great defense, and I attribute that to coach Tari Wood and the Grandview Wolves, because at the end of the day they are the gold standard for girls soccer right now as the two-time defending state champions,” Schneider said. “They’ve been such a marvelously good defensive team that they’ve been the proof for all teams in the state of Colorado that if you want to go deep in the playoffs and really make some noise, it starts with great defense.”
Cherry Creek played the Centennial League rival Wolves to a 1-1 draw on Thursday night, and then posted a signature 2-0 victory on the road against No. 1 Broomfield on Saturday — two matches that proved the Bruins are ready for a title push.
“Our goal is to get to state, and we have a team capable of doing that,” Geraghty said. “It comes down to how hard we work and how consistent we are each match.”
