KAITLYN GLOVER'S TWO GOALS AND ASSIST EARN COLORADO RAPIDS WOMEN MOUNTAIN CONFERENCE TITLE AFTER 3-0 WIN

Photo Credit - Colorado Rapids Women Media

The Colorado Rapids Women knew it was only a matter of time before they broke through.

In eight unbeaten games the Rapids Women had outscored opponents 35 to seven. They were well accustomed to teams taking a defensive stance against them from the opening whistle.  Their season finale Sunday night versus the Colorado Pride was no different.

During the first 50 minutes the Rapids Women methodically battered the Pride’s back line. Finally with persistence, a cross from the left flank from forward Natalie Beckman found the head of midfielder Kaitlyn Glover inside the six-yard box who calmly tucked the glancing header just inside the far post. Coming off 15 goals in her sophomore season at the University of Denver, Glover made scoring look easy, putting the Rapids on the board 1-0.
 

"Tonight, it was about fun, and enjoying playing the game with each other, one last time, before they go off to their college teams," Peter May, Rapids Women head coach, said.

The Rapids Women finished the season with eight wins and a draw while recording five shutouts and winning every match on the road. The Rapids Women controlled their matches from the opening whistle – winning ball after ball in the midfield, maintaining possession with short passes for long stretches of time, waiting patiently, for one-on-one matchups to materialize on the flanks.

Pride goalkeeper Kaylyn Farrell was put to work early in the match and rose to the occasion. The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs graduate assistant repeatedly stymied the Rapids' attack, comfortably collecting any ball played into her penalty area.
 

"They [Pride] knew how we wanted to play and came out and did a great job absorbing the pressure we put on them," May said. "They forced us to change things up in the final third."

That change came in the form of Glover playing as a withdrawn forward. Glover's intelligent movement off the ball found her unmarked at the top of the six-yard box to calmly score eleven minutes later putting the Rapids Women’s up by two. The serving shot from Sami Feller ricocheted off the goalpost then goalkeeper to fall placidly at Glover's feet for the easiest finish she had in recent memory.

"Honestly, what I did was the easy part. Just the last touch into the goal," Glover said. "It was a team effort the whole game. We were so good in possession. The other team barely even got to touch the ball. Just the buildup led to everything."

Feller put the game away in the 70th minute, collecting a weighted pass from Glover at the edge of the penalty area, cutting the ball onto her right foot, and finishing calmly to the far post to give the Rapids its first Mountain Conference Title.

"I tell the kids at the beginning of every summer that this is about having fun playing, gaining some confidence, and taking that confidence back to their college team," May said.

Pride (5-1-3, 16 points) close out the season next Friday at Colorado Rush (4-3-1, 15 points). A win or draw will secure second place for Pride in its first WPSL season. Friday’s match will be the first meeting of the season between the two clubs.

"It's going to be a good game," AJ Adcock, Colorado Pride head coach, said. "Our team was on the younger side today. Next week we should have a little more experience back on the field. Hopefully, we get the result we want, something we can build on for next year.”

    Author:  Andrew Mosier,  @AndrewMosier6 (Twitter)
    WPSL Contributor - West Region