Fall all-conference selections around the Pikes Peak region

 

The boys' and girls' lacrosse teams at Air Academy will be without a true home venue for the entire spring season.

They, along with the girls' soccer team, will play their home games at District 20 Stadium and Pine Creek's turf field because of the renovations being done on the Kadets' stadium, the "K-Dome."

Air Academy athletic director Blue Anderson said the plan is to remove the grass from the stadium and lay turf. A new drainage system will also be installed.

"We just felt to keep our facilities up to date, and with all the use it gets, it was really time for turf," Anderson said.

The project is funded by Academy School District 20's $230 million bond measure that was approved in 2016. Anderson said once the Air Force Academy gives permission to break ground, he thinks the construction will begin later this month and conclude around the end of May.

Until then, it's life on the road for Kadets lacrosse.

And that may not be such a bad thing.

The boys' team is 14-3 away from home since the beginning of 2016, while just 6-10 at home. The girls, meanwhile, are 9-6 on the road compared to 9-7 at home during that span.

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"I'm looking forward to it," boys coach Ethan Hilberg said. "The last couple years we've had very successful road schedules, so looking at it in a positive note we're looking to use this to our advantage and consider those all road games for ourselves."

Both teams will look to build off their runs to the Class 4A state quarterfinals from a year ago.

The girls team lost at Cherry Creek to cap a season where it won the Southern League and two playoff games. It returns six starters.

The boys are coming off a 5-1 road record, which included a first-round win over Golden followed by a season-ending loss at Dawson School. The only Pikes Peak region team to go deeper in the postseason was Cheyenne Mountain, which fell to Valor Christian in the semifinals.

The girls begin the season against Grand Junction at the Pine Creek Turf Field on Friday. The boys will travel over an hour for their opener against Conifer on Thursday.

"There's no distractions (on the road)," junior attacker Noah Thornally said. "We're just able to focus a little more when we're on the road."

According to Anderson, the teams still won't have to travel far for practice. Both teams will use the school's practice field, Eagleview Middle School and the Air Force Academy Preparatory School this season.

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Game analysis and insights from The Gazette sports staff including columns by Woody Paige and Paul Klee.

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