Sun Tzu probably wouldn’t approve of Alyssa Gillmore’s approach to playing soccer, but he couldn’t argue with the results.

Sun, the military strategist who wrote The Art of War, preached that one must know their enemy and how they think to be successful on the battlefield.

Gillmore, a senior keeper at Chatfield, admits she has no idea what goes through the mind of her opponents as they bear down on her, but that hasn’t stopped her from developing into one of the top prep goalies in the state.

Earning a varsity spot as a freshman, Gillmore has helped the Chargers reach the quarterfinals each of the past three seasons and earned All-Colorado honors last year. This year, she signed to play college soccer at Arizona State and has Chatfield ranked third heading into the season.

That still doesn’t mean she knows what opposing players are thinking, though.

“I have no idea what goes through a forward’s mind,” said Gillmore, who posted 11 shutouts last season. “I’ve been playing goalie since I was 9 years old, so I don’t know how they think.”

She has figured out the position of keeper, right down to the superstitions and tics that go along with playing the position. She always occupies the same seat on the Chatfield bus to games (third seat from the back on the right), puts her equipment on the same way and has her iPod filled with the requisite rap songs to fire her up before a game.

Gillmore’s teammates know to keep the chatter to a minimum once she enters her pregame zone, the same way they know she will have their backs if someone happens to get behind the Chargers’ defenders.

“She brings the best out of the players around her,” Chatfield coach Brock Blume said. “Having her back there gives them a confidence that, if they should happen to bend or if there’s a breach in the defense, Gilly’s capable of making a spectacular save.”

That intensity doesn’t necessarily carry over off the pitch, as Gillmore likes to have fun and has a self-described adventurous streak.

Blume said she has a big personality, on and off the field, that makes her stand out from the pack.

“I’ve been teaching at Chatfield for 10 years, and she’s one of those kids that’s just a delight to be around,” Blume said.

Gillmore’s main focus for the next few months will be to help lead the Chargers to a run at the state championship. With seven Division I players on the roster, Chatfield has the talent to match up with any team in the state.

Blume said how far the Chargers go this season will depend on how hard the team works. Gillmore, for one, is willing to make the extra effort to make sure Chatfield’s playoff run doesn’t end in the quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive year.

“We call it the quarterfinal curse,” Gillmore said. “We’re very motivated to get past it this year.

Corner kick

CLASS 5A TOP 10

1. Arapahoe: Led by standout Kaitlin Bast, the Warriors are geared for a run at the title.

2. Rocky Mountain: The Lobos will be in the hunt behind high-scoring senior Kalie Vaughn.

3. Chatfield: With seven Division I players and Alyssa Gillmore in net, the Chargers will be tough to beat.

4. Heritage: The Eagles finally got past the semifinals last season; winning it all is next.

5. Cherry Creek: The Bruins should push Arapahoe and Grandview in league and at state.

6. Grandview: The defending champs reload for a repeat bid.

7. Air Academy: Texas Tech recruit Jaclyn Dozier will make the Kadets hard to score on.

8. Legacy: The Lightning has the talent to be a top team. Now they must prove it on the pitch.

9. Fairview: The Knights should be a factor in the much-improved Front Range League.

10. Denver East: After being upset in first round last season, the Angels are hungry for another playoff berth.

Consensus league picks: Arapahoe (Centennial), Air Academy (Colorado Springs Metro), Heritage (Continental), Denver East (Denver Prep), Rocky Mountain (Front Range), Chatfield (Jeffco), Brighton (Skyline), Grand Junction (Southwest).

TOP PLAYERS BY LEAGUE

Player, School, Year

CENTENNIAL

Kaitlin Bast, Arapahoe, Sr.

Kristen Miller, Cherry Creek, Sr.

Taylor Skogg, Grandview, Sr.

COLORADO SPRINGS METRO

Jaclyn Dozier, Air Academy, Sr.

Shelby Williamson, Air Academy, Sr.

Ashley Willis, Coronado, Sr.

CONTINENTAL

Kayla Yee, Heritage, Sr.

Ashley Hansley, Highlands Ranch, Sr.

Katie Steefel, Littleton, Sr.

Chandler Guetz, Ponderosa, Sr.

DENVER PREP

Emily Gosche, Denver East, Sr.

Jenna Greenwood, Denver East, Sr.

FRONT RANGE

Kalie Vaughn, Rocky Mountain, Sr.

Mara Cosgrove, Legacy, Sr.

Annie Stullen, Fairview, Jr.

JEFFCO

Alyssa Gillmore, Chatfield, Sr.

Kelsey Latham, Chatfield, Sr.

Hannah Kenyon, Pomona, Sr.

SKYLINE

Kendra Moriarty, Brighton, Jr.

Danika Rodriguez, Westminster, Sr.

Lexi Sanchez, Brighton, Sr.

SOUTHWESTERN

Katerina Garcia, Durango, Sr.

Ashley Wallace, Grand Junction, So.

Whitney Ravan, Grand Junction, So.

NOTEBOOK

Watching Amy Barczuk play basketball, one might wonder if the Arapahoe senior made the right choice when she signed to play college soccer with the University of Colorado last month. A 5-foot-10 senior, Barczuk is one of the top girls hoops players in the state, averaging 22.6 points, eight rebounds and six assists a contest for the Warriors, who recently earned a No. 2 seed in Class 5A playoffs. It’s easy to imagine Barczuk playing basketball at the next level.

But Barczuk is unwavering in her commitment to continue her career on the pitch. While she loves playing basketball, soccer remains her true passion. “I’m a soccer player,” Barczuk said on Feb. 13 after scoring 31 points in a loss to Mullen. “I’ve been playing the sport since I was a little girl and it’s what I want to keep doing.”

Barczuk was one of seven Arapahoe soccer players to sign a letter of intent to play college soccer, and that’s one reason the Warriors enter the season ranked No. 1. In addition to Barczuk, the Arapahoe kickers will be sending Kaitlin Bast (Denver), Kaitlin Swanson (Creighton), Davonne Holland (Creighton), Louise Timboe (Davidson College), Amanda Dennis (Winona State) and Amber McKinnon (McPherson College) to the next level.

While Arapahoe enters the year ranked No. 1, the Warriors will have their hands full in the always-tough Centennial League, where you can make the case for at least two more teams as serious state title contenders entering the season.

Defending champion Grandview will have to deal with the graduation of Player of the Year Beth West, as well as two other All-Colorado players and two more than received all-state honorable mention honors. But the Wolves will remain formidable and will make a strong bid to repeat.

Veteran coach Bruce Brown calls senior Tayler Skogg “one of the best leaders I have ever coached,” and senior Alexsys Tamayo is a speedy midfielder who is also a dangerous finisher.

Cherry Creek, which was runners-up in 2007 and reached the semifinals last season, will also push Arapahoe. The Bruins are led by Kristen Miller, a four-year starter who is one of the top defenders in the state.

After watching its quest for a state title stall in the semifinals every year since the 2003 season, the Heritage soccer program finally got over the hump and made it to the title game last season. And the Eagles looked like they were well on their way to the title, taking a two-goal lead 15 minutes in the contest. But as Heritage coach Tony Hurt was quick to point out, “I think (the two-goal lead) looked better than it was.” Grandview came back to score the next three and win the championship.

The Eagles should have the talent to make another run this season. A couple of seniors who have been an important part of Heritage’s program since they were freshman are back in Kayla Yee and Lexi Stirling, and six starters in total return for Hurt this season.

“We should be very competitive again this season,” Hurt said. “Although we don’t return a lot of players, they were mostly starters. We’ll have to find some youth to join them and then see how we click.”

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