The news hit the players at Faith Christian hard.

Shortly before school started this year, they learned that Athena Lopez, last year’s Rocky Mountain News player of the year in Class 3A, was transferring to Arvada West for her senior year.

Lopez had been crucial to the Eagles’ 2008 state championship run. She scored 21 goals, including one in the Eagles 2-1 victory against St. Mary’s in the title game.

With Lopez returning, the Eagles could almost be penciled into the state semifinals, with a serious shot at repeating.

“A lot of the girls, that was a big blow to our confidence at first,” said Leigh Hefner, the Eagles senior sweeper. “I was shocked, and I was really sad that she was gone because she is one of my best friends.”

The shock didn’t last long, though. The Eagles assessed the talent and experience they had returning and realized that they would be just fine. Seven starters are back, including two that are certain to play at the next level. Hefner will play at Division I Tennessee Tech next season, where she will pursue a nursing degree. Also, Aubrey Fondy, who scored eight goals for the Eagles last season, will play for Nova Southeastern, a Division III school in Florida.

“I really think we’ll continue to perform at a high level,” Faith Christian coach Amber Jenkins said. “Losing Athena is not a happy thing. But there definitely are some girls who will be able to step into position.”

Faith Christian’s rivals aren’t looking for the Eagles to wilt away without Lopez, either. Kent Denver coach Krista Sahrbeck said Faith Christian is still capable of repeating last season’s success.

“Even though Athena left, there’s no way I write them off,” Sahrbeck said. “I respect Athena as a player, but her leaving doesn’t really alter things.”

In addition to possessing many players with big-game experience, Jenkins hopes the Eagles can retain the unselfish, team-first attitude that drove them to the top of 3A, even as Lopez was their clear offensive leader.

“The thing that made our team really special last year is that we led the league in assists,” Jenkins said. “We retain a lot of those players. We’ll still maintain that sort of integrity of playing as a team.”

The competition in the Metro League, as always, will be breathing down their necks. Kent Denver, Colorado Academy and Peak to Peak will try to take advantage of the loss of Lopez. And the Eagles could very well face a revenge-minded St. Mary’s again in the playoffs.

“(Lopez) was a big part of our team, and we’re going to have to work a lot harder,” Hefner said. “But we’re willing to step up and pick up our game and see how far that will take us.”

Corner kick

CLASS 3A TOP 10

1. Faith Christian: No Athena Lopez, no problem for the defending champs, who have plenty of talent to contend again.

2. Kent Denver: With seven starters back from a 12-4 team, the 2007 state champs will battle Faith for Metro League dominance.

3. St. Mary’s: The two-time runner-up Pirates reload for another shot at the title, with nine starters returning.

4. Alexander Dawson: The Mustangs return almost everyone after a disappointing first-round upset last season.

5. Peak to Peak: The semifinalists will rebuild on the fly and should be a team to contend with by tournament time.

6. Holy Family: The Tigers are a team to watch after reaching the quarterfinals last season.

7. The Classical Academy: TCA has put itself on the map, with strong tournament showings the past two seasons.

8. Front Range Christian: The Falcons are looking to build on last year’s breakout 12-3 season with eight returning starters.

9. Colorado Springs Christian: After narrowly missing the semifinals last season, the Lions should be back in the hunt.

10. Denver Christian: Hardworking midfielder Lisa Singleton sets the tone for the Crusaders, and leading scorer Alexis Peterson returns as well.

Consensus region picks: Alexander Dawson (Region 1), Fountain Valley (Region 2), The Academy (Region 3), Basalt (Region 4), Telluride (Region 5), Faith Christian (Region 6), Estes Park (Region 7), St. Mary’s (Region 8).

TOP PLAYERS BY REGION

Player, School, Year

REGION 1

Kelsey Hizer, Lutheran-Parker, So.

Emily Mitchell, Front Range Christian, Sr.

Olivia Wagner, Alexander Dawson, Sr.

REGION 2

Kortney Good, Pikes Peak Christian, Sr.

Marissa Quintero, Colorado Springs School, Jr.

Ashley Stevens, Pikes Peak Christian, Jr.

REGION 3

Erin Aragon, The Academy, Jr.

Emily Strock, Sheridan, Sr.

Anessa Trujillo, Sheridan, Sr.

REGION 4

Lindsey Anderson, Aspen, Sr.

Melissa Stewart, Basalt, Sr.

Samantha Wilson, Coal Ridge, Jr.

REGION 5

Nicoll Hunt, Pagosa Springs, So.

Sydney Smith, Pagosa Springs, So.

REGION 6

Hilary Glassman, Kent Denver, Jr.

Leigh Hefner, Faith Christian, Sr.

Lisa Singleton, DenverChristian, Sr.

Camille Solarte, Kent Denver, Jr.

REGION 7

Molly Janda, Sterling, Sr.

Jenny Lambrecht, Sterling, Sr.

Alicia Stark, Estes Park, Sr.

REGION 8

Jamie Fox, The Classical Academy, Sr.

Reade Tillman, Colo. Springs Christian, Jr.

Christina Whitelaw, St. Mary’s, Jr.

NOTEBOOK

Basalt has a new coach, and the Longhorns will try to avoid the pattern of the past two seasons when they were upset in the state playoffs.

In 2007, the second-seeded Longhorns were beaten in the semifinals by No. 3 seed St. Mary’s, and last season as the fifth seed, they lost in the first round to No. 12 The Classical Academy.

“We keep getting upset. We need to finally be the one who is upsetting,” said Makenzie Eshelman, who takes over the head-coaching duties after assisting for two seasons.

The Longhorns have six starters returning.

Speaking of St. Mary’s, the Pirates have become a perennial power under the coaching of Gregg Braha. St. Mary’s has won the Tri-Peaks League four times during the past five years and has played in the state championship game the past two seasons.

The Pirates are stacked, with nine returning starters, including all-state midfielder Christina Whitelaw, part of a talented junior class.

“We may only start three seniors. The other eight may be juniors, but it’s a really strong class,” Braha said. “The expectations are to win it all.”

St. Mary’s is part of an improved Tri-Peaks League. The Classical Academy, which reached the state quarterfinals last year, should challenge St. Mary’s for league supremacy this season. The two league rivals will face each other in the final regular-season game.

“We pride ourselves on being the second-toughest league,” Braha said. “The Metro League is still really the king of the hill.”

Nederland had its best season last year, finishing 5-7-1. The program’s first winning record is still the goal, but the Panthers have made great strides since the program started in 2000.

“We were literally mercy-ruled in every game our first season,” Nederland coach Troy Tewalt said. “It has been rewarding to see the improvement.”

Nederland’s enrollment is only about 200, and it has no feeder program to develop its soccer players. A junior-varsity program started in the past few years has helped, and this year, the team features two athletes in senior Bailey Eddy and junior Hannah Monserud, who are potential college players.

Tewalt describes Eddy as the team’s playmaker and said Monserud is one of the few Panthers players who played soccer growing up. Monserud has scored 22 goals during the past two years.

“She’s a dynamic player with a nose for the game,” Tewalt said. “She’s also one of the top athletes at our school, and we expect big things from her this season.”

Peak to Peak reached the semifinals for the first time last season before falling to eventual state champion Faith Christian. While the Pumas lost most of their scoring punch, they should still battle for a playoff berth this season in the Metro League behind a defense led by senior defender Hania Flaten and goalkeeper Kylie Franz.

Pumas coach Peter Chandler calls Franz “one of the best goalkeepers in the Metro League.” Franz allowed 17 goals last season.

Reade Tillman has quickly become a huge offensive force. The Colorado Springs Christian forward had 22 goals and 13 assists last year, as the Lions advanced to the quarterfinals. A junior, Tillman will likely lead the Lions in all offensive categories this season.

“She’s just a very talented player, and she’s been a no-question starter from the beginning,” Lions coach Stuart Davis said.

The Lions will return five starters and face Metro League power Denver Christian in a nonleague matchup in the third game of the season. “That will be a good barometer to see where we stack up,” Davis said.

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