There was no sense of panic from the Tumwater High School girls soccer team. Even with being down 1-0 within the first eight minutes, they felt it was their match to lose.
And it only took four additional minutes to seize control of an Evergreen Conference contest.
Kayla Pope blasted a 10th minute penalty kick and Emalyn Shaffer buried a rebound tap in goal a minute later, the first pair of four consecutive goals in the Thunderbirds 4-1 triumph over W.F. West on Tuesday night in Chehalis.
“We were more confident,” Shaffer said. “We knew it (was) just another league game. Those two (goals) sealed the deal. We knew what team we were and what we can do.”
Since drawing in back-to-back matches versus Skyview and Union, Tumwater’s starting back line of Trinity Edwards, Allison Woods, Chloe Foos and Cassidy Hedin – along with rotational players Sy’Rai Culp and Cadynce Lee – have allowed just three regulation goals in 320 minutes.
Edwards and Woods are three-year starters as center backs while Foos is a returner at left full back. Hedin moved from forward to full-time full back on the right side.
The chemistry amongst that quartet has been on full display over the last three weeks.
“They are kids that understand how to defend, they understand what we want to do defensively,” Tumwater co-head coach Brett Bartlett said. “It is not old-school defending. Their ability to organize stuff is really important for us.”
W.F. West’s primary striker Ashlen Gruginski plus wingers Rhylee Beebe and Lauren Kelley were neutralized much of the night. The Bearcats changed their formation to a 4-2-3-1, adding a second defensive midfielder.
The opportunities to push never came. They were held to two shots on goal for 80 minutes.
“We struggled to get possession in the final-third,” W.F. West head coach Kevin Schultz said. “Some of our transition moments into offense when we were able to connect the ball to Ashlen’s feet were good.”
For 11 minutes, it appeared to resemble a shootout.
Gruginski was fouled inside the box and Emily Mallonee netted a penalty kick in the seventh minute for an early 1-0 W.F. West cushion. It lasted roughly three minutes when Tumwater (5-1-2, 2-0 EvCo) was fouled in the box.
Pope went to the left past Charlee Nelson for the equalizer. Then quickly on the ensuing kick, Shaffer had an over the top ball fed to her and she took one touch past Nelson.
It clanged off the post, but the senior followed her shot and slid home the go-ahead score. Shaffer added her second goal in the 34th minute on an assist from Pope.
“Getting out of my own head and having confidence in myself,” Shaffer said.
Bartlett doesn’t take for granted what the reigning EvCo offensive player of the year can do with a ball at her feet.
“She’s a special attacking player,” he said. “She’s got a lot of really great qualities. We’ve been blessed to have her.”
Reese Heryford put the finishing touches on the victory in the 61st minute for the T-Birds. They registered 20 total shots and 15 were on frame. Nelson finished with nine saves for W.F. West (5-2, 1-1), who was called for three offsides.
It also had one yellow card in the first half and one corner kick late in the final 40 minutes.
“They have some lofty goals,” Schultz said of his group. “We (have) to get consistent and trust we can do it for 80 minutes.”
Tumwater and W.F. West both hit the road on Thursday, heading to Grays Harbor County to take on Shelton and Aberdeen, respectively.
