Fairview’s Ilise Ziebarth and Trevianna Barto carved their place into Knights lore Tuesday night. Their first career goals came against crosstown foe Boulder, a tickling thought for them, and further fuel for their team’s longstanding winning ways in the rivalry.
Ziebarth sandwiched a pair of goals around Barto’s in a runaway second-half performance, Malana Gurmendi added her first of the season in the final minutes, and Fairview’s win streak over the Panthers ticked up to eight straight in a 4-0 victory at its turf field.
“This game, I’ve been waiting for it for so long,” Ziebarth said as fans screamed her name from behind. “With a lot of our players injured, I was like ‘We got to score. We got to score.’ And it happened and I’ve never been so excited in a game before.”
As result, the Knights’ record over Boulder climbed to 11-1 since 2009. It also meant a second straight victory on the season following tight losses to open Front Range League play against Rocky Mountain and Broomfield.
They’ll enjoy this one for a bit, though.
“It’s always great to beat your friends,” Barto smiled.
Ziebarth’s opening score came from 25 yards out. Barto’s follow-up ranged in from 30.
Positioned near the sideline on a free kick, Ziebarth broke open a scoreless game 52 seconds into the second half. Her chance, with a gusting wind at her back, deflected off Boulder keeper Maisie Creamer’s outstretched hands and went in.
Barto then doubled the lead in the 47th minute, taking a feed from Payton Larson before connecting. Ziebarth later added the second of her career in the 75th, while Gurmendi, who had four goals as a freshman, stuck in another in the 76th.
At anchor, the Knights got another strong performance in net from Alyson Campbell, who in her third game back from injury looked all the part of one of the state’s best keepers in recording her second straight shutout.
“It means a lot,” Fairview coach Steve Griggs said of the rivalry win. “These kids have all played against each other in club for years, even with each other in club. And they live in the same town and see each other.”
Adding, “and we have this game once a year and it’s probably the best attended game of the season for both teams. It’s just a fun one to play.”
Boulder’s two-game winning streak ended, but not in vain according to coach Carlos Real, who called his team’s first-half performance one of the best halves he’s seen them play at Fairview.
In it, Ava Werner nearly gave the Panthers the lead in the 31st. Taking a through ball from Arden Williams, the junior raced up field before Campbell left her box and made a sliding clear.
Creamer then kept things scoreless minutes later as she raced out of the box to halt a breakaway of her own.
“The message after that is we’re hanging with teams like Broomfield and Fairview in the first half, and we’re focused and we’re controlled, and then we have a breakdown, a lucky goal or whatever it is,” Real said. “And we just have to keep the momentum for 80 minutes. That first half in my point of view was one of the best halves we’ve played here at this stadium. So, I couldn’t be prouder of them.
“Now,” he said, “Fairview is behind us. Playoffs are now our target.”
Boulder (2-3, 0-2 FRL) will host Fort Collins Thursday. Fairview (3-2, 1-2) is at Valor Christian Friday.
