For 47 minutes, visiting 25th seed Fort Collins made the case for why it should advance to the second round of the playoffs over eighth-seeded Pine Creek. 

The Eagles spent five minutes issuing a powerful rebuttal. 

After the Lambkins tied Tuesday's Class 5A girls' soccer playoff game in the 47th minute, Pine Creek scored back-to-back goals in the 48th and 53rd minutes to secure a 3-2 win at home and advance to the round of 16.

The Lambkins (6-6-4) enjoyed a tied match for roughly a minute before the Eagles (11-2-2) regained control. Sophomore Brenna Hallam tapped the ball into the goal after junior leading scorer Sophie Redner popped it over the head of Fort Collins keeper Paige Fry who was out of position. 

Five minutes later, junior Ella Stoneman buried a shot from close range for her second score of the evening. Stoneman gave Pine Creek a 1-0 advantage at halftime after her long shot bounced off the crossbar down into the goal in the 34th minute. 

"After we got scored on, I know we can't be negative. We have to encourage each other, otherwise that team mentality goes down. So we have to be encouraging and pick each other up," Stoneman said. 

Fort Collins played much better than their record suggested. Following an early surge, Pine Creek had trouble finding good scoring opportunities until midway through the first half. The Lambkins' bend-but-don't-break defense -- buoyed by a great performance from Fry -- kept the match scoreless until Stoneman broke through at the tail end of the opening 40 minutes. 

Eagles coach John Frederick wasn't surprised by the challenge the visitors presented, saying Fort Collins played a tough schedule and that he knew Wednesday's game would have a second-round feel. 

To that end, the Eagles coaching staff preached calmness in tense moments. The girls delivered following the equalizer and after Fort Collins made a run at  tying the game late. 

The Lambkins scored in the 75th minute on a header off a corner kick. Fort Collins fought with a renewed sense of energy in the game's remaining five minutes. After Eagles keeper Lauren Anderson made a sliding save on a Fort Collins forward who had broken past Pine Creek's back line, the home team regained composure and finished the game in the attacking third of the field. 

Last season, the Eagles made the quarterfinals of the 5A tournament. This year, Stoneman said a team-first mentality is key to improving on that result. 

"We play a lot better when we're working as team and not individuals. So continue building as a team, passing the ball, connecting our passes, looking to score. We have really good goal scorers and we can create really good opportunities," she said. 

Pine Creek will face Broomfield in the second round of the playoffs May 10.