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Star forward Abbey Lee (in blue) with a thunderbolt
Photo by Todd Linton |
Shorewood High School’s girls’ varsity soccer team entered last Tuesday in clear, chilly conditions in the penultimate week of WesCo 2A/3A South league matches.
The first-place 7-1-1 Shorewood Stormrays faced the fifth-place 4-5-0 Meadowdale Mavericks with the WesCo South league title within reach. Shorewood was riding high on a seven-game unbeaten streak, after their last loss to… Meadowdale by two-nil approximately a month ago.
The Mavericks then slumped to defeats against the heavyweights of Archbishop Murphy, Edmonds-Woodway, and Shorecrest, a puzzling enigma that the Stormrays would approach with equal parts trepidation and anticipation, eager for retribution for their unexpected lone defeat.
With a victory, they could clinch at least a share of the WesCo South title; a tie or a loss would take matters out of their hands. The match started in cagey fashion, Mavericks with quick running and slick passing, Stormrays attempting to do the same.
Executing the same game plan as before, their incisive passes from midfield to their forwards, began to exert control on the game. Midway through the first half, a well-timed pass zipped to a Maverick striker, whose silky dribbling held off the defender, and smoothly slotted it past the diving goalkeeper, 0-1.
The Meadowdale defense, with two quad rows of low blocks held Shorewood at bay until half-time.
Stormrays, as expected, came out of the half with urgency to find an equalizer, but the Mavericks kept their discipline in defense, while continuing to advance their skilful strikers.
Shorewood countered by unleashing a heavy press in the midfield, and quickly counterattacking with long passes to their forwards #13 and #14. With more physical challenges, and fighting for every possession, Shorewood began to wrest control, with long raking passes cross-field to their marauding strikers.
Lobbing high over the defensive lines, Stormrays had several shots on frame, with their keeper saving superbly. Early in the second half, one such lob broke through over the central defender, with #13 using her pace to pounce, with only the goalie to beat.
With no choice, the keeper came out, only for #13 to adroitly round the desperate sliding challenge to stroke the ball into an empty net, 1-1. In the first half, Meadowdale executed their short-passing game that Shorewood was unable to match, but in the second half, Shorewood had lured the Mavericks into playing their long-ball game, in which Stormrays had the advantage.
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£5 Fullback Jasmine Bea Lumbera thwarts attack with volleyed clearance
Photo by Todd Linton |
The ball pinged back and forth between the opposing goalkeepers, but Stormrays were growing in confidence, having found a way to pierce the Mavericks' defense. Instead of trying to dribble through the obdurate midfield, the Stormrays began to play a more direct style, advancing the ball quickly to their forwards.
As the clock ticked to under two minutes, it looked like overtime was inevitable, but in one last-gasp foray, a perfect pass split two defenders in the box, and #13 trapped, feinted, and smashed the ball into the bottom right corner past the lunging keeper, 2-1.
Meadowdale attacked with all they could muster, but after the last few anxious moments of extra time, Shorewood held on for their gritty comeback win, snatching victory from the jaws of a desultory draw.
The Stormrays remain top of the WesCo South table, with the title within sight.
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Strike force of McKenna Anderson, Maggie Mauney and Abbey Lee in attacking surge
Photo by Todd Linton |
NEWSFLASH: In the penultimate WesCo 2A/3A South league match Thursday night, the first-place 8-1-1 Stormrays faced the woeful, winless 0-10-0 Lynnwood Royals. In the reverse fixture about a month ago, the hapless Royals were soundly defeated eleven to nothing, and Shorewood could have easily doubled that tally.
However, the Stormrays could not afford to be careless or inattentive, as sole possession of the WesCo South title was at stake. The Stormrays duly fulfilled their mission, playing around, over, through the Royals without drama or fuss, 5-0; 2024 WesCo 3A South Champions!
The District 1 Championship is up next, with RPI and seedings (& qualification) for State still to be earned.
Shorewood team (alphabetical order):
Maggie Alonzo, McKenna Anderson, Emmy Barron, Lilly Burris, Harper Emanuel, Whitney Ernst, Mady Finseth, Maily Fly, Rilan Fly, Rylie Gettmann, Ana Leah Gonzalez, Frankie Lara, Abbey Lee, Jasmine Bea Lumbera, Maggie Mauney, Shineun Moon, Sophie Schindler, Ky Smith, Scarlett VonGunten
--Reported by T Aw
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