The Centralia girls soccer team picked up an impressive road victory on Tuesday, scoring three times after halftime to top Montesano 3-2.
It’s the first time that the Tigers have topped the Bulldogs in Montesano since 2023, Centralia coach Luis Magana’s first year as the head coach of the Tigers.
“It was good to see them get an away win at a very tough place to play,” Magana said. “It was a good feeling to get another win there before this (senior) class graduates.”
Montesano opened the scoring in the 34th minute, and the 1-0 scoreline held until the break.
During halftime, Magana said that the emphasis was on staying technically sound and focusing on the tactical side of the game.
It took just three minutes for the Tigers to find an equalizer, as Eva Reinitz scored off an assist from Lilly Gruginski.
Ten minutes later, Ededina Silva connected on a far shot from the right side to put the Tigers up 2-1.
The Bulldogs responded another ten minutes later, tying the game at two, but Centralia immediately went back on the attack and earned a free kick right outside of the box.
Silva put the free kick on net, and though the Montesano keeper was able to save the initial shot, Cyndal Sills was able to put in the rebound with a tap-in to make it 3-2 Centralia.
The two teams continued to trade possession and chances across the final 13 minutes and change, but the Tigers held on for the win.
Centralia finished with 15 shots, and junior goalkeeper Peyton Thurman made six saves in net.
The Tigers have now won two games in a row after an 0-2 start to the season. Last Thursday, Silva scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Rochester, a game where freshman keeper Mya Olson recorded her first clean sheet.
“The team is starting to understand our system of play and adapting to it,” Magana said, noting that his team has scored in all four games to start the year. “That’s refreshing, because in years past we seemed to always be solid defensively but struggled to score.”
Reinitz has scored in three of four matches this season, and Silva has also “made an impact on the offense” after moving into the midfield from the backline.
Centralia (2-2) will be back at home on Saturday, when it will host Elma.
