Although the temperature had dropped, the Golden Demons were in high spirits.
On April 17, the Demons scored 10 scoreless points and defeated the Conifer Lobos with a ferocious attack that ended the game 11 minutes early due to the CHSAA mercy rule.
With this win, Golden has a total of 7 wins and 3 losses, and a league record of 3 wins and 1 loss, good enough for second place behind Devlin. After the April 22 game against Dakota Ridge, Golden had four games remaining on its regular season schedule, including an away game at Green Mountain on April 25.
Meanwhile, Conifer fell to 2-8-1 overall and 0-5 in league play, finishing last among nine 4A teams in Jefferson County. They were scheduled to travel to Northglenn for a nonleague game on April 22, then finish the season with three league games against Dakota Ridge, Green Mountain, and Littleton.
The Demons kept the Lobos on the back foot as the golden hour light faded from the North Area Athletic Complex and disappeared into the nearby mountainside.
Golden forward Sophia Nickell was the first to find the back of the net, scoring about five minutes into the game. Striker Jada Goodman followed two minutes later, and the Lobos were immediately down 2-0.
Fittingly, earlier in the day, the two seniors signed to play NCAA Division I football at the University of Kansas and Mississippi Valley State University, respectively.
Their offensive production inspired their teammates to follow, and Golden continued to score over the next 30 minutes. The Demons ended the first half up 7-0 thanks to a fastball that hit the top right corner of the net seconds before halftime.
In the second half, the Demons' offense cooled down a bit, but they settled into a comfortable rhythm. The Lobos defense tried to catch up, but injuries and extra goals disrupted the momentum, and Golden senior Emi Beal scored the No. 10 goal to end the game.
Senior goalie Addie Avery was a standout for the Lobos, making at least nine saves on the night. According to MaxPreps, Avery has over 120 saves this season.
Conifer's final home game of the season will be April 29 against league opponent Green Mountain at 5 p.m. The match will be played in NAAC.
Golden's final home game of 2024 will be that same day against league opponent Littleton at 7 p.m. It will also be held at NAAC.
Click to see more photos from the April 17th game.