The White River High girls landed in the Class 2A state soccer tournament.
The Hornets qualified for the 16-team state field after winning two games last week during West Central District play. That followed a successful regular season in which the team posted a 12-1-1 record in league play and went 14-1-2 overall.
The district tourney started with a dozen teams and was played out over three dates, eventually sending six squads to state. White River advanced as the district’s No. 3 seed.
The state Class 2A tourney is a single-elimination affair with final games slated for Shoreline Stadium. First-round contests were played early this week and quarterfinal games are set for later in the week. The semifinals will be played Nov. 18 with the championship contest, as well as the third/fourth matchup, slated for Nov. 19.
White River’s opening-round game – against Ridgefield High – is set for 6 tonight, Wednesday, at the Orting stadium. All state games are a loser-out affair; second round games are slated for Thursday through Saturday.
During the regular season, the Hornets had placed second in the South Puget Sound League 2A, thus earning a first-round bye into the West Central District tournament. A 5-0 victory over the Sequim Wolves on Nov. 1 assured White River a berth into state.
An exciting, 2-1 shootout win over Olympic High on Nov. 5 gave the Hornets the No. 3 berth from district play.
The Hornets jumped on top of Sequim during a 10-minute stretch of the first half. Grace Clapshaw drilled an unassisted goal in the 20th minute, then scored off a Zoe Grimm assist just three minutes later. Ariel Saylor scored at 29 minutes and White River held its 3-0 lead well into the second half.
Emma Robbins scored at 65 minutes and Clapshaw finished her hat trick at 76 minutes, both unassisted.
In goal, Ally Glebe and Autumn Nation split time to register the playoff shutout.
The victory over Olympic was in doubt until the final stages of regulation play, as the Hornets trailed 1-0. In the 76th minute, however, Annabelle Hall – showing why was voted the SPSL 2A Most Valuable Player – scored the dramatic goal that knotted the contest.
SUMNER MAKING STATE TRIP IN 3A
The Sumner Spartans blanked two opponents in district play to land in the Class 4A state soccer tournament.
In the Sweet 16, details of the Spartans’ first contest had not been announced as of Monday morning’s press deadline.
Sumner had entered West Central/Southwest District play as the No. 2 seed from the South Puget Sound League 4A, having finished second behind Puyallup High.
From that starting point, the Spartans put on a defensive show, registering back-to-back shutouts in their run to the state tourney.
The district opener was Nov. 3 and resulted in a 1-0 victory over Auburn Mountainview, a team from the North Puget Sound League 4A. The game’s lone goal was scored by Brooke Nichols in the 57th minute; Sumner’s Sydney Green did the rest, along with the Spartan defense, earning a shutout in goal.
That victory pushed Sumner into the state tournament, leaving a Saturday game to determine district seeding. The Spartans were decisive in that one, blasting Kennedy Catholic 4-0 to earn the WCD/SW No. 6 seed.
Sumner entered state play with an overall record of 12-5-1.
PANTHERS BOUNCED IN SHOOTOUT
Bonney Lake High’s postseason dream was dashed Saturday when the Panthers suffered a tough, overtime 2-1 loss to the Peninsula Seahawks.
The contest, played under stormy skies, was a loser-out, winner-to-state affair. Five games were played Saturday in the West Central/Southwest 3A tournament, with only the victors advancing.
The Panthers entered the game with a Pierce County League 3A title already under their belts. But Bonney Lake was immediately shorthanded, as star forward Jasmine Smith was sidelined with a broken foot and team captain, defender Olivia Grob, was derailed with a case of bronchitis.
Both teams struggled to make things happen during the first half and, after 40 minutes, the score was deadlocked at zero. The Seahawks finally put a tally on the board early in the second half.
Bonney Lake went on the offensive, but had trouble finishing. Finally, in the 69th minute, freshman Kaylee Coatney attacked from the left side and found the net.
With the scored knotted at 1-1, the squads played two periods of overtime before settling the game on penalty kicks. In the shootout, the Panthers received goals from Coatney, Summer Kober, Hannah Shortt and Olivia Kirby.
That wasn’t quite enough, however, as Peninsula scored on six penalty kicks and advanced to the 3A’s Sweet 16.
Bonney Lake finished the season with an impressive record of 12-2-3, including an 11-1-2 mark in league play.
