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Last Updated: Oct 16th, 2008 - 13:33:17 |
As a sports reporter and enthusiast, I have watched so many games that most of them fall into blurry images that blend in with the rest of the season. I tend to remember most about the reactions from players or coaches than about the actual games, but there are a handful of games that epitomized the fascination of sports: rallies, spectacular performances, down-to-the-wire finishes and redemtion. Here are my top five Metro games in the past year.
5. Volleyball, Sept. 21, 2007 vs. UC-Colorado Springs at the Auraria Events Center:
Metro cleaned the Cougars' clock in this game 3-0. RMAC Freshman of the Year Kelsey Ellis dominated from the outside hitter position tallying 18 kills while RMAC 1st-teamer Julie-Green McFarland complemented her teammate with 16 kills. But the real story came on defense when Metro held UCCS middle blocker Brooke Akers to only 12 kills. Akers, who was one of the top kills leaders in the RMAC, came into the contest averaging more than 20 kills a game. Metro libero Bri Ostler, who won the RMAC's Defensive Player of the Year award, seemed to be wherever Akers placed her kills and came up with 18 digs to help Metro bring home the win.
4. Men's basketball, Jan. 19, 2008 vs. Colorado School of Mines in Golden:
Metro seemed to be in cruise control leading by 10 points at the half, but Mines freshman Niko Marinucci caught fire and single-handedly brought his team back with four second-half 3-pointers. With the game tied at 62, consecutive turnovers by both teams gave Metro the ball with 19 seconds left. Metro head coach Brannon Hays gave the ball to his best player in Jesse Wagstaff, and the 6-foot-8 forward came through in the clutch with a short jump-hook, and Metro escaped Golden with the two-point win. The win sparked the 'Runners to win their next 8-of-10 to earn a spot in the RMAC Tournament.
3. Women's basketball, Feb. 8, 2008 vs. Regis at the Regis Fieldhouse:
This rivalry is arguably the most exciting to watch in all of Metro sports. Out of the shoot, Regis built an early 21-10 lead with the sniper-fire shooting of Regis guard Stevi Seitz and forward Lauren Luebbe. The Rangers had their offense in 6th gear pushing the lead to 20 with less than five minutes to go in the first half. The Roadrunners cut the lead to 10 right before the half thanks in part to back-to-back threes from Metro guard Stephanie Sauter. Metro valiantly fought back in the second half and even took a six-point lead with six minutes on the clock. But from that point on it was back and forth with the teams exchanging the lead at every possession. Down three with one minute remaining, Metro guard Ashley Mickens came up with a steal and Metro forward Carolyn Dennee hit a 15-foot jumper to cut Regis' lead to 73-72 with 48 ticks left. But late free throws by the Rangers did in the 'Runners, and unfortunately Metro didn't come out on top in this classic encounter.
2. Men's soccer, Sept. 7, 2007 vs. Fort Lewis at Auraria Field:
During the previous season, the Skyhawks had the Roadrunners' number defeating Metro four times including wins in the RMAC Tournament and in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In the four losses, Metro even failed to record a goal against their bitter rivals. Things looked as if times hadn't changed Sept. 7 as Fort Lewis scored the first two goals. But Metro broke the scoreless streak finding the back of the net twice in four minutes. The game was tied 2-2 at the half, but Fort Lewis quickly took back the lead scoring on a rebound that Metro goalie Ryan Vickery had no chance at. Metro's all-time goal scorer Philip Owen put one home to tie the game at three. Metro center Mark Cromie had missed some nice chances at the goal earlier in the game, but came through in the 63rd minute on a nice free kick shot from about 20 feet. Metro scored an insurance goal, and they finally beat Fort Lewis after failing to do so in the past four years.
1. Women's soccer, Nov. 11, 2007 vs. Incarnate Word at Auraria Field:
After two 45-minute halves, two 10-minute overtimes and 10 shooters in the shootout, the game still had not been decided. This thriller occurred in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, after Metro defeated West Texas 1-0 in double overtime two days prior. You could see the exhuastion as players fell to the grass once the second overtime was over. The players may have tired, but us reporters were ecstatic having never witnessed a shootout in our careers. After five rounds of the shootout, the shootout score was tied at three. Into the sixth round, the start of the sudden death rounds, Cardinal forward Sarah Graef slipped one by ESPN All-American goalkeeper Rachel Zollner to take a 4-3 lead. It was up to Metro freshman Jakkie Greer to make her shot and keep the Roadrunners NCAA Touranment hopes alive, but her shot went just right of the net, and the season ended. The game turned out to be the last for Metro head coach Danny Sanchez, who went to coach at Wyoming, but it was a game that most fans and reporters will never forget.
By Zac Taylor
5. Men's basketball, Feb. 29, 2008 vs. Colorado Christian University at Colorado Christian:
It was the last game of the men's up and down season, and the Roadrunners lost, but it wasn't for lack of effort. In the raucous Cougars gym, where the RMAC Regular Season Championship banner had already been raised, Metro quickly fell behind. The large crowd flooded the gym with boisterous chants, but the 'Runners quickly quieted the crowd. For the final eight and a half minutes of the first half, Metro denied CCU a point, going on an 18-0 run to erase a 29-16 deficit. Although the game would eventually slip from Metro's grasp, the defensive stand was the best I have ever seen in basketball.
4. Women's basketball, Feb. 22, 2008 vs. Colorado School of Mines at the Auraria Events Center:
The women entered their final regular season matchup looking for a high seed in the RMAC Tournament. Mines looked to play spoiler, and early in the second half, the Roadrunners clung to a one-point lead, 34-33. Then Metro's defense woke up, allowing just 13 more Orediggers' points in the game while the Roadrunners offense erupted from beyond the arc and buried Mines 66-46 for a convincing end to a convincing regular season.
3. Women's soccer, Nov. 9, 2007 vs. West Texas A&M at Auraria Field:
Metro was upset in the first round of the RMAC Tournament after winning the regular season crown, placing doubts on their postseason abilities. All doubt was erased against West Texas A&M in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. After giving up two goals in the tournament loss to Fort Lewis, the Roadrunners defense locked down. West Texas responded in kind, and a 0-0 tie survived into the second overtime. Then Metro's Justine Montoya took a corner kick, the ball found Katie Kilbey at the top of the box, and she slipped it through the commotion to an open Becca Mays, who slid the ball past the keeper for the win.
2. Men's soccer, Nov. 2, 2007 vs. Colorado School of Mines at Auraria Field:
Metro had just secured its place as RMAC regular season champs and won home field for the conference tournament. Now they faced No. 4 Colorado School of Mines in the semifinals. The game quickly revealed itself as a battle of offenses: The Orediggers drew first blood and the Roadrunners responded. The first half was a goalkeeper's nightmare, and when the halftime whistle sounded, it was 2-2. Then the defenses arrived and the game slowed and suddenly got much more physical. Metro outshot Mines in the final half, but the Orediggers made one of their few count, heading in a cross 15 minutes from the end to win the game 3-2.
1. Women's soccer, Nov. 11, 2007 vs. Incarnate Word at Auraria Field:
This was the longest game in Metro's soccer season, a hard fought battle that came down to one kick, and one miss. It started with a 2-2 draw to end regulation, and then two overtimes where Metro came tantalizingly close to scoring but couldn't finish. Then came something few in soccer experience: a shootout. Yet neither team refused to yield, and after the first five rounds the two sides were still even. Now it was sudden death, and the Cardinals Sarah Graef beat Metro's star goalkeeper Rachel Zollner to go up 4-3 in the shootout, and put all the hopes on Metro freshman forward Jakkie Greer. Her shot just missed the right post, and one of the most exciting soccer games, and Metro's season, had ended.
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