Golddigger fans should mark their calendars for April 29-30, as Clear Creek lacrosse and soccer, respectively, will host their first-ever evening home games.
The April 29 lacrosse game and the April 30 soccer game also will be the teams’ senior nights. Both programs will play under mobile lights, just as football team did for its Oct. 29 senior night.
“There’s never been a night soccer game (at Clear Creek) before,” soccer coach Dan Ebert said. “We’ve never had the capability.”
Lacrosse building competitive schedule
While Clear Creek is still finalizing its lacrosse schedule, coach Jamey Kittelberger said the goal is to play smaller schools that the Golddiggers can compete with.
The larger schools typically have massive wins over Clear Creek, which leads to injuries and low morale, he said.
As of March 2, 16 players were signed up, although Kittelberger said he’s sharing some with other spring sports.
Still, 16 is more than usual. In previous years, the Golddiggers have struggled to have enough substitutes on the sidelines. So, if everyone stays healthy, Clear Creek should have depth on the bench, Kittelberger said.
The roster includes three freshmen, including one who’s been playing lacrosse since fourth grade. The team also will have two goalies, which Kittelberger said is a first in his time as coach.
With hard work and a little bit of luck, Clear Creek could win five to seven games this season and advance to the playoffs, which has been expanded to 28 teams, he said. If the Golddiggers do make the playoffs, it’d be a first for the program, according to Kittelberger.
Soccer returning nine starters
As of March 2, Ebert said the soccer team has 16 players, although it could add a few more before its March 17 home opener.
The team returns nine starters, as it only graduated a goalie and a midfielder last year. The downside, though, is that this year’s team has nine or 10 seniors, Ebert said.
Ideally, the team has a good balance between the four grade levels, he said. But, four years ago, the soccer team welcomed a very large and athletic class of freshmen.
While that’s a boon for the 2022 season, Ebert wondered what it meant for the program’s future, especially because only three new players joined the team this year.
“It is what it is,” he continued.
Like lacrosse, Ebert said his team has a very competitive schedule, as Clear Creek will be playing a lot of 3A schools and former 3A schools that recently moved down to 2A. Dawson is always a challenging team to play, he continued, along with Front Range Christian, Vail Christian and Denver Christian.
But, with Clear Creek returning its entire defensive line and its two strikers, the roster and depth chart are very well-balanced, he added. Plus, the Golddiggers have a lot of speed.
“Our passing and trapping needs work, but that’s typical,” he said. “ … I think this team will be very competitive.”