It took just minutes for Tumwater to find the back of the net against Centralia on Thursday, and the Thunderbirds never looked back in a 9-0 victory on their home turf.
“We just couldn’t contain their speed,” Centralia coach Luis Magana said. “Their speed was tough to contain.”
It took Emalyn Shaffer just 12 minutes to score a hat-trick, as she scored each of the first three goals in a five-goal first half.
Magana said that no matter what adjustments the Tigers made, they weren’t able to match Tumwater’s speed and quickness, which led to dozens of Tumwater scoring chances.
“You could see the movement with or without the ball. The speed, the chemistry, it’s all there,” Magana said.
Magana was able to take away a few positives despite the final scoreline, including Braylee Blankenship, who made 12 saves in net.
He also commended Cyndal Sills and Olivia Gruginski for their overall toughness and effort throughout, and he also mentioned Yarexy Mejia, who tore her ACL last year when the Tigers played against Tumwater but was able to play a lot on Wednesday.
Magana said that the focus now will be turning the page, as the Tigers still have their goals within reach.
“I want them to keep focus on our goals,” Magana said. “We can be one of those teams in the top three, even the top two.”
After the first half of league play, the Tigers (4-4-3, 3-2 2A EvCo) are currently in third, one game back of second-place W.F. West and one ahead of fourth-place Aberdeen.
Next week, the Tigers will return home to face Shelton on Tuesday and Aberdeen on Thursday, two teams that they beat earlier this season.
“Those are winnable games,” Magana said. “But we can’t just believe that we’re gonna win them. We still gotta put in the work.”
