High School Girls Soccer: Denver scores three unanswered to top Wahlert (2024)

DENVER — Denver junior Keira Gehrke walked off of Gielau Field for the final time in the 2024 season the same way she had in 2023 — with tears in her eyes.

Since last qualifying for the state tournament in 2017, the Denver girls soccer team lost in the regional final four of the previous five seasons ended in the regional final and short of a trip to the state tournament in Des Moines including a 1-0 loss to Hudson on penalty kicks last season.

However, this season was different. And so was the cause for Gehrke’s tears.

On Thursday, the Denver girls soccer team put an end to its trend of heartbreak with a 3-1 win over Dubuque Wahlert in the Class 1A Region 7 Championship, earning a spot in the 2024 Class 1A girls soccer state tournament next week as the No. 2 seed.

“This time we won,” Gehrke said. “It just feels like a dream. It is just so devasting to end it here in a final. To finally breakthrough that and get to the state tournament and experience it — especially for my seniors who worked for it for so long, it is just a great experience. I am just so happy for everyone.”

Gehrke’s teammate, Denver sophom*ore Grace Mullihan, similarly exuded excitement upon earning the Cyclones’ first spot at state in seven years.

“I have no words,” Mullihan said. “I do not know how to explain this feeling. It is so surreal because last year we had that big heartbreak, but this year I feel like we accomplished so much.

“So surreal. I do not even know to explain it … I am just so happy that I got to do this with all my teammates. We worked so hard for this moment. I am so proud of every single one of them.”

Denver head coach Derek Krebsbach said the win, which he credited to his team’s culture, meant “everything” to him and his team.

“I went to Denver, graduated from Denver, so it is a really cool experience,” Krebsbach said. “I coached a lot of these girls before they were in high school. It is a really tight group so it meant everything.

“Something about this team, [they] continued to find a way all season. A lot of tough games and they just dug in deep. That was the message all year: Find a way. We did that.”

Though the Cyclones ultimately prevailed, the Golden Eagles (7-7) did not go without putting a scare in the Denver (18-1) faithful.

Dubquue Wahlert struck early with a goal in the first five minutes of action on a corner kick to take a 1-0 lead.

Gehrke said the goal and 1-0 deficit lit a fire in the Cyclones.

“It drove us to actually fire up,” Gehrke said. “We came in a little shaky and I could tell the nerves were setting in. After they scored it definitely pumped me up. It really eased the team. I think we knew we could come back after that.

“I got subbed out very early after they scored and I was just trying to get everyone on the bench hype, everyone on the field hype. I knew we were capable of locking them in and not letting them score again. I knew we could do it.”

Denver found its way back with goals from Gehrke, in the 28th minute, and junior Alyssa Harberts, in the 37th minute off an assists from Mullihan, to take a 2-1 lead at the half.

According to Gehrke, Krebsbach emphasized the importance of scoring an early goal in the second half to seal the win.

The Cyclones met Krebsbach’s challenge with a tally two minutes into the second half as Anna Mulert scored off another Mullihan assist.

“We came firing back straight away in the second half,” Gehrke said. “They dropped and we were on a high.”

Denver’s trio of unanswered goals held up for the final 38 minutes.

With the win, the Cyclones secure the No. 2 seed at the state tournament where they will face Council Bluffs, St. Albert (17-3) in the quarterfinals at Cownie Soccer Complex (Field 6) on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.