The Tenino girls soccer team came into Saturday with a bit of a buffer that it did not want to use; starting the day a win ahead of Eatonville, the Beavers could afford a one-goal loss, which would see them clinch third place in the 1A Evergreen on goal differential.
By the end of the day, though, the Beavers were glad for it, after a 2-1 loss to the Cruisers was still good enough to push them ahead of their guests.
Eatonville took the lead in the 38th minute on a Tenino own goal, and led 1-0 at halftime. Cami Olivera tied things up for the Beavers in the 51st minute on an unassisted strike from the top of the 18-yard box into the far-side netting.
“Really fantastic goal,” Tenino coach Dave Montgomery said. “Just drove it low and hard, and it went exactly where it needed to be.”
But the tie game — and the one-goal cushion it gave the Beavers — would only last two minutes, as the Cruisers scored a wondergoal from long range in the 53rd.
“I’ve got to say, It was definitely the goal of the year for teams that got goals against us,” Montgomery said.
Suddenly back in a tense situation, the Beavers began to park the bus, moving striker Lizzy Diskin from the top of the field to the back line to bolster the defense. Freshman Kyra Dirks kept the flanks secure from her spot on the wing.
And at the very back, senior goalkeeper Trinity Tafoya stood on her head to keep the Beavers where they wanted to be, palming Eatonville’s best chance late off the crossbar to keep it out.
“She’s not the tallest goalie in the world, but she’s really darn good,” Montgomery said. “And now that she’s able to get to those high balls, she’s the complete package. She’s fantastic, and that save saved our season right there.”
Earning the Evergreen’s No. 3 seed, Tenino will play at 1A TriCo No. 2 Seton Catholic on Tuesday.
