After placing second at districts and getting handed the No. 8 seed in the 2B state tournament, Adna had a little bit of a chip on its shoulder. And after upsetting top-seeded Okanogan, 3-1, in the state semifinals Saturday, the Pirates proved why.
The Pirates exploded for three goals in the opening 18 minutes of play and used ferocious pressure to stymie the No. 1 Bulldogs and advance to the state semifinals.
Central 2B League North Division MVP Presley Smith delivered the first roundhouse punch with a direct kick into goal from on top the 18-yard box to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead in just the third minute.
Eight minutes later, Zarine Walker knocked one in from an assist off a corner kick by Karlee Von Moos, and Kaylin Todd made it 3-0 in the 18th minute off an assist by Summer White.
The Pirates tasted blood in the water as the Bulldogs were stunned.
“We just came out on fire,” Adna coach Horst Malunat said.
At the half, Malunat told the Pirates that no other team had played the game the Bulldogs do right back at them.
“I said, ‘Just take the game to them and beat them’ — and that’s what we did,” Malunat said.
Adna put havoc-wreaking pressure on the Bulldogs and didn’t let up. But sleeping giants eventually awaken and Okanogan finally did in the 55th minute with a goal to cut the deficit to 3-1.
But Adna countered with an offensive foray, outshooting the Bulldogs 21-10, and senior keeper Macy Kalnoski came up clutch with 10 saves, including a PK save to help preserve the victory.
“We really brought it to them,” Malunat said. “It was our day.”
Adna is just the second team to defeat Okanogan this year, the other being Class 1A Cashmere. The Pirates victory snapped the Bulldogs’ 11-game win streak, a stretch where they allowed just four total goals.
Malunat said he thinks it helped the Pirates played Cle Elum-Roslyn Wednesday, while Okanogan was idle with a first-round bye. It gave Adna momentum heading into Saturday’s match.
Now the Pirates (11-5) will face Central 2B League foe Toledo in the state semifinals at 4 p.m., Friday, in Sumner. The two teams have actually not faced each other yet this season with Adna being in the North Division and Toledo in the South Division.
But Malunat knows the Riverhawks well. He teaches at Toledo High School and has taught most of their soccer players at one point or another in the past two years. But now, friendships aside, he said, this is a contest.
“Hopefully, it’ll be a good friendly rivalry,” Malunat said. “We want to beat them.”
