TENINO — They were out-possessed for much of Thursday night. They fended off chance after chance by their closest rival. Even in a tied up match, their backs were against the wall in regulation and overtime.
How did the Napavine High School girls soccer team respond?
Unlike any other group in the last decade-plus.
“Usually, years before when we've gone (into) penalty kicks, it has been really bad,” Tigers goalkeeper Taylen Evander said. “(We) kept our composure the whole time.”
Fresh off being named a first team all-C2BL goalie earlier in the week, the Napavine junior stopped three penalty shootout attempts and was bombarded by her teammates in celebrating a 2-1 (3-1 PKs) triumph over Adna in a Class 2B District 4 semifinal at Tenino High School.
It marks the first time since 2012 Napavine (14-2) will play for a district title and claim a spot in the 16-team state tournament bracket. It still hasn’t lost a game to a league opponent and extends the winning streak to 14 straight.
The Tigers will face Toledo for the district crown on Saturday in Tenino.
“I’m so over the moon, it is about time,” Napavine head coach John Bates said. “Let’s walk away winners and they did it.”
All squared at one after 80 regulation minutes sent the contest into overtime. Ten minutes later and no golden goal was scored, it all came down to a shootout.
Evander stopped the first two and watched her teammates Hannah Fay plus Hayden Kaut rifle their attempts to the back of the net. Lydia Tobin got on the board for Adna (10-7-1) in the third round, but Grace Pancake answered.
Once Bailey Naillon’s shot was batted away, the whistle blew and the Tigers were sent into euphoria.
“We’ve been practicing (shootouts) religiously and it paid off,” Bates said.
“It is the greatest feeling,” Evander added. “We like to win and we’re all so excited.”
Even in the setback, Adna head coach Patrick Richardson was far from upset. When the two sides met in the regular season, Napavine cruised to a 4-1 victory.
Behind dominating possession and limiting the opportunities for the Tigers, the Pirates had several runs into the 18-yard box that weren’t finished. They knocked on the door several times.
Adna never could break through the go-ahead score.
“It is something we can learn from, too,” Richardson said. “That’s by far our best game all year long.”
Kaut put the Tigers ahead early in the seventh minute on a 20-plus yard shot that bounced off the hands of Pirates’ netminder Lillian Montat. Tobin responded with a free kick in the 11th minute for the equalizer.
Neither side put up a bounty of shots on goal – 11 total between the two – but Bates is looking forward to the district title game in his first year at Napavine. The match itself will not be new to him.
It will be to his team.
“One day of rest, back at it,” he said.
Adna will face Ocosta in a winner-to-state matchup on Saturday back at Tenino. The Pirates beat Ocosta 4-1, but as evident by this tourney, no match will be a cakewalk.
“If we play every game like we play that one, things are going to be there,” Richardson said. “If we do that, we should be perfectly OK.”
