The Centralia girls soccer team got on the board in the second half against Montesano on Tuesday, but it was too little, too late as the Tigers fell to the Bulldogs 2-1 on the turf at Tiger Stadium.
“It was a back and forth game for sure,” Centralia coach Luis Magana said. “It became about who was going to make the first defensive mistake … Unfortunately we were the ones to make that mistake.”
That mistake came late in the first half, when Montesano got on the board first. The Bulldogs doubled their lead in the second, but Ana Blankenship was able to get the Tigers on the board in the 75th minute off a set piece from Cyndal Sills.
Centralia pressured hard for an equalizer in the final minutes, but didn’t get one before the final whistle.
“It was an aggressive game,” Magana said. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the goal.”
Magana commended his defense and keeper Braylee Blankenship, saying her six saves “kept them in the game.”
“I hate losing, but I was happy with the result,” Magana said. “We hung in there with them and were able to get a goal back.”
Centralia (0-2-1) will head north on Thursday to take on Rochester, a game that Magana said will be a battle regardless of the team’s records going into the match.
“It can get complicated, because it’s a rivalry game,” Magana said. “We’re excited to play that game.”
