TUMWATER – Coincidentally, a no-goal ended up being the driving force for the Tumwater High School girls soccer team.
As Kayla Pope’s free kick shot from beyond the 20-yard lane clanked off the right post in the 11th minute, it ignited a sudden urge to break through the Aberdeen back line.
“We still were hungry for the goal and it inspired us,” Pope said.
The avalanche ensued shortly thereafter.
Pope, Emalyn Shaffer and Lucy Bergford each found the back of the net twice and the T-Birds rolled by the Bobcats 7-0 at Tumwater District Stadium on Wednesday night in the Class 2A Evergreen Conference opener.
Nineteen total shots – 12 in the opening half – pushed Tumwater out to a 3-0 halftime cushion and they never looked back. It didn’t allow any shots on goal by the Bobcats for 80 minutes.
In the last four meetings between the league foes, the Thunderbirds have allowed just one goal.
“We wanted our outside backs to be stepping a little higher and getting the ball into the attack,” co-head coach Brett Bartlett said. “We recognized they were dropping, but the kids weren’t recognizing how they were marking, how much they were truly manning up and following. They kind of rolled after that.”
Bergford opened the scoring in the 26th minute then Schaffer, the reigning EvCo Offensive Player of the Year, blasted a shot in the 35th minute and Pope scored two minutes later.
Pope, the returning all-area MVP, scored on a penalty kick early in the second half.
“We wanted to get off on a good note and that’s exactly what we did,” Pope said.
Schaffer and Bergford put the finishing touches on the output. Esther Vuong netted an Olympic style corner kick as the final mark in a blowout.
Much of the roster is back off an early exit from the 2A District 4 tournament. Two years ago, the now juniors and seniors were underclassmen when Tumwater (4-1-2, 1-0 EvCo) reached the state semifinals.
Motivation is not a concern with this group.
“It is what is keeping us so fiery this year,” Pope said. “We really are trying to make it to the top.”
One of the hurdles the T-Birds have had to leap has been adversity. Outside of a handful of regular season matches, they have not faced resiliency on a routine basis.
They didn’t suffer a loss until the postseason and never fully recovered, going 1-2 in districts.
“We weren’t tested,” Bartlett said.
Under full intentions to schedule difficult games early, Bartlett lived up to the promise.
Tumwater beat Selah in the season-opener, drew with 4A teams Union and Skyview and took a 4-2 loss to traditional power Seattle Academy.
It destroyed Elma and North Thurston by 11-1 verdicts.
“We were not adjusted to that feeling; we were so used to rolling through (the) league,” Pope said. “The Seattle Academy game put everything into perspective. Losses are OK, they help us grow.”
While the aspirations of getting deep into the playoffs are there, Bartlett and Pope concur the primary goal is continued camaraderie amongst the players. From club teams to donning the green and white, there’s ongoing chemistry on and off the field.
That connection is still developing and growing deeper.
“They’ll fight hard for each other,” Bartlett said. “We get that with these (girls).”
