The White River Hornets qualified for the state Class 2A soccer tournament Saturday afternoon, defeating the Steilacoom Sentinels 3-2 at Franklin Pierce Stadium.

It was the third time this season the fellow South Puget Sound League 2A teams had met and brought the second victory for the Hornets.

One of just 16 teams remaining from the statewide 2A field, the White River girls advance to state as the West Central District’s No. 4 seed. The state odyssey begins at 6 tonight, Wednesday, when the Hornets challenge Black Hills High at Tumwater High’s stadium. If White River defeats Black Hills, the next game – a state quarterfinal contest – would be Saturday.

In Saturday’s winner-to-state, loser-out battle, the Hornets were forced into overtime before knocking off the Sentinels. Morgan Clough scored the Hornets’ first goal and Payton Bushaw added the second. The Hornets overcame a controversial call in the game’s final second, when Steilacoom was allowed a free kick and scored. Forced into a five-minute overtime period, White River secured the victory thanks to an Ashley Powell goal off a Cassidy France assist.