Denver 2021 Preseason All-Metro Boys

Colorado was one of the states that delayed its soccer season from its traditional fall time frame to the spring. Therefore, the returning players will have actually played two soccer seasons in the same calendar year - Season C during the spring of 2021 and then again this fall. With such a short gap between seasons, coaches have a pretty good handle on the impact players for the fall. <span style="font-size: 1rem;">Here’s a glance at the players to watch this fall:</span> <strong>FORWARDS:</strong> Frederick senior [player_tooltip player_id="9309" first="Zane" last="Doehring"] was the 4A/3A Longs Peak League Player of the Year this past spring after scoring 20 goals and adding 13 assists. Despite leading the classification in goals, he was a second-team all-state pick. ... Broomfield senior [player_tooltip player_id="9245" first="Russell" last="Tuccio"] was the team’s leading scorer this past spring and earned BoCoPreps all-region honors. He will be a third-year starting forward for this perennial state title challenger. ... Cherry Creek senior [player_tooltip player_id="8982" first="Cyrus" last="Gulati"] will mean instant offense. Gulati led the team in goals and assists last spring, factoring in about 75 percent of the team’s scores. He was a first-team all-state selection and can be listed as a forward or midfielder. <strong>MIDFIELDERS: </strong>Fairview senior [player_tooltip player_id="9096" first="Jake" last="Milanski"] is one of the few holdovers from last spring’s 2021 undefeated, state title-winning program. He was a BoCoPreps all-region selection and one of Fairview’s leaders in assists. ... The lone junior on the preseason all-metro team is Boulder’s [player_tooltip player_id="8938" first="Cameron" last="Gerber"]. His six goals were the best among all sophomores in Class 5A. ... [player_tooltip player_id="8927" first="Caleb" last="Ballard"], a senior, was a second-team all-state performer after leading Arapahoe in goals last spring. ...Valor Christian senior [player_tooltip player_id="9181" first="Mason" last="Louth"] gets the nod from a team full of returners from the spring. In fact, the squad graduated only three players. Lough was second on the team in goals scored. <strong>DEFENDERS:</strong> Grandview senior [player_tooltip player_id="8891" first="Ben" last="Beckman"] likely is the top returning defender in the state. Beckman was a Class 5A all-state first-team selection after helping Grandview to an 11-2 season. The squad allowed only eight goals last season with five of them coming in bookend losses to Cherry Creek. ... Cherry Creek had a so-so regular season, then got hot in the playoffs, rolling off three straight shutout wins to reach the state final. A stalwart in that defense was [player_tooltip player_id="8901" first="Blake" last="Wellington"], another Class 5A first-team all-state selection. ... Denver North’s [player_tooltip player_id="9071" first="Ian" last="Najar-Armendariz"] is listed as a defender, but he certainly got into the attack last season with four goals and assists during the team’s 12-2 run. <strong>GOALKEEPER:</strong> Boulder senior [player_tooltip player_id="9038" first="Evan" last="Sims"] returns after earning team MVP honors a season ago. He had six shutouts in 11 matches and earned BoCo Preps all-region honors. [table id=80 /]