Bearcats Fall to Wildcats in Opener

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Two quick goals at the end of the first half spelled a loss for the W.F. West girls soccer team in its season opener, 3-1 to 1A La Center.

“It was definitely a really good matchup for us for our first game, for our youngsters to get out there,” WFW head coach Allen Anderson said. “I think they were a little bit surprised by how much faster the speed of play was compared to our jamboree last week.”

The Bearcats’ new-look back line found itself pressed into service early, with the Wildcats getting balls deep and pushing their back line up to maintain high pressure.

To start, W.F. West not only soaked up the pressure, but turned its counterattacks into the best chances, with Zoey Robertson getting behind the defense and forcing a good save out of La Center’s keeper. 

But as the half wore on, the Wildcats kept the ball more and more, until Madisen Newbury got on the end of a through ball in the 18-yard box and beat Staysha Fluetsch 1-on-1 to put the visitors ahead.



Just five minutes later, LC’s Mikaela Bright picked the ball up at midfield after a WFW corner kick was cleared out and took it all the way down the field to double the Wildcats’ lead.

“I was trying to get them to play more possession-based in our attacking half,” Anderson said. “We just kind of collapsed under the speed of play and the pressure a little bit, and made some minor mistakes. That was really the big key today; the mistakes we made, they were able to capitalize on.”

The hole got even deeper right out of halftime, with La Center making it 3-0 in the 48th minute. Cameron Sheets clawed a goal back in the 56th minute, scoring on a free kick, but that would be all the offense the hosts could manage.

W.F. West (0-1) will get its first crack at a 2A opponent when it goes to Hockinson on Thursday.