WESTMINSTER — Legacy’s Blake Hansen’s game-winning goal in the 89th minute sent players, coaches and fans streaming onto the field. Not long afterwards, the Lightning managed to get a team photo in front of the net Hansen had victoriously hit twice in the final 11 minutes.
Beating Broomfield — it’s a moment the Lightning will cherish.
Hansen tied the game with 2:58 remaining in regulation and then scored the walk-off winner late in the first overtime to propel Legacy past Broomfield 2-1 on a cold and wet night at North Stadium.
Legacy coach Tony Romano said he believed it was the program’s first-ever win against Broomfield (7-5, 4-4 5A Front Range League). The Lightning (10-2, 6-2) were 0-5-2 over their past eight seasons in the rivalry, according to MaxPreps.
“We’ve been working so hard,” said Hansen, who was trying to catch his breath after the game. “We’ve never beat Broomfield before and we’ve been working hard to share this moment with the school.”
Hunter Hance and Hansen had on-point shots denied by Eagles’ keeper Kaden Carson earlier in the overtime — a theme that carried through most of the night. On Hansen’s final touch, though, he took the ball into the box and swished the net to his left.
“It’s one of the best moments I’ve ever had,” he said.
Mawolo Easton’s goal in the 14th minute held up most of the way for Broomfield before Hansen’s heroics followed a string of near-misses for Legacy.
In the minutes before the equalizer, Hansen made a nifty move inside the box and fed it to a wide-open Daniel Marks, who missed just left of the net. Then, not long after, Colten Armstrong had a marvelous bicycle kick-try denied.
The groans of the Lightning fans grew louder with each miss.
It looked as if it’d never come: Hance took a fed from Hansen near the left goalpost early on, but was denied after Carson reacted quickly to get in position. Armstrong then beat the keeper but had his chance booted away by a defender on the goal line late in the half. Joey Joiner then hit the post moments after and Hance had his shot deflect off Carson to open the second.
“When you play a Front Range League opponent it’s always a matter of inches,” Romano said. “And Broomfield is certainly no exception to that. They’re a very strong team, (strong) individually, they’re well-coached. My hat goes off to them always.”
Easton scored his team-leading seventh goal of the season to put the Eagles ahead 1-0. The playmaking forward dribbled up the right side of the field and let loose from 30 yards out.
Like the Lightning, the Eagles missed chances of their own. In the final 30 minutes, they had a few tries come up short to double their lead. In the end, though, the winners of 5A for three of the past four years lost for the third time in four games.
“It’s a struggle,” Broomfield coach Jim Davidson said. “We obviously struggle closing games out on both sides of the ball. We don’t have that ability to win a game right now. Obviously, we self-destruct defensively.”
On Thursday, Legacy will travel to Fort Collins and Broomfield is at Fairview.
Brent W. New: , bwnew@prairiemountainmedia.com and @brentwnew
Legacy 2, Broomfield 1 (OT)
At North Stadium
Broomfield (7-5)1001Legacy (10-2)0111
Goals (assists) —Broomfield: Mawolo Easton (unassisted) 14th minute; Legacy: Blake Hansen (unassisted) 78th; Legacy: Hansen (unassisted) 89th.
Goalies (Min-Goals allowed-Saves) — Broomfield: Kaden Carson (89-2-8); Legacy: Ivan Castillo (40-1-2), Brandon Hansen (49-0-4).
