LOUISVILLE — In the postseason, widespread contributions are critical for teams looking to survive and advance.
Hosting No. 17 seed Lewis-Palmer in the Class 5A boys lacrosse state tournament on Wednesday, No. 16 Monarch’s depth was one of the biggest difference-makers. Six different Coyotes scored on the evening as Monarch secured a convincing 16-3 first-round victory.
Now riding a three-game winning streak heading into the second round, Monarch head coach David Auday believes his Coyotes are peaking at the right time.
“We are ascending,” Auday said. “The last three games, four games, we’ve gotten better, better and better. Our confidence right now is sky-high.”
Monarch will next face No. 1 Arapahoe on Saturday at LPS Centennial Stadium in Littleton. The Warriors, well-rested following a first-round bye, are 14-1 on the season and two years removed from winning the 2022 5A state title.
Although top Monarch scorers Flynn Leonard and Tommy Roberts still got theirs on Wednesday — scoring nine combined goals — several others stepped up on both ends. Ethan Grimes produced three goals, Luke Mastrogiovanni had two, and Lennox Richard and Hayden Wilson each scored once.
“Especially as we play better teams, our top-end players aren’t going to do as much or they’re going to get more attention,” Monarch senior defenseman Thomas Perkins said. “The more guys we have that are able to score or stop people from scoring, it’s just gonna make our team that much better.”
Auday added that Monarch spread the ball well while creating strong looks for its scorers.
“We were really sharing the ball,” Auday said. “You got guys like Ethan Grimes scoring a ton, Luke Mastrogiovanni, who’s been the catalyst and an unsung hero this year. It’s not just Tommy and Flynn. We’re just really getting it done.”
After closing the first quarter up 2-1, the Coyotes created separation in the second quarter by scoring five goals in about eight minutes. Leonard, Roberts and Richard each scored once while Grimes netted a pair.
“That was the whole game, to be honest,” Perkins said. “In the second quarter, we finally started to play our game, possess the ball and settle down.”
On the other end, Perkins and his fellow defenders helped give Monarch’s goalkeepers a low-stress evening. With Mason Kish and Trace Anderson splitting time in the net, the Coyotes allowed their fewest goals since holding Boulder to two on April 8.
“It’s what we’ve been doing all season,” senior defenseman Will Herzig said. “Holding teams to low percentages helps our offense, especially when they get the ball. Our job is to get the offense to score. That’s all that matters.”
Monarch and its second-round opponent, Arapahoe, met earlier this spring in a preseason scrimmage, which featured a stronger showing from the top-seeded Warriors, according to Auday. But considering how much they’ve grown since early March, the Coyotes view Saturday as an entirely new challenge.
“All we’ve done this season is improve,” Perkins said. “We started out really rough and we’re getting hot at the right moment. They (Arapahoe) better not overlook us.”
