The Centralia soccer team made the long trek to Aberdeen on Tuesday night, and the Tigers returned home with a 3-2 win.
Aberdeen opened the scoring in the 17th minute, but Olivia Gruginski tied the game just four minutes later with a shot that ricocheted in off the crossbar.
The next 30 minutes were back-and-forth, as each team traded possession and chances, but Jaslin Corona gave the Tigers the lead on a beauty of a free kick from the right side in the 57th minute.
Centralia coach Luis Magana said that Corona has been working on that shot, and it’s now the second time in three games that it’s paid off in a game.
“It was her time again,” Magana said. “She stepped up and put it in.”
The Tigers ramped up the pressure from that point on, and in the 77th minute, Gruginski scored off a pass from Corona to double the advantage.
That insurance goal proved to be necessary just a minute later, as Aberdeen drew a penalty off a counter to get back within one. Centralia was able to hold off the Bobcats for the final few minutes to improve to 2-0 in league play.
The Tigers’ unbeaten streak (3-0-2) is now up to five games, as they haven't lost since Sept. 17.
“I was happy with the buildup,” Magana said. “I was happy with the way we were moving the ball in the second half, and I was happy with the way we just played hard.”
This game meant a little more to the Tigers as well, as Aberdeen topped Centralia in the league finale last season to finish third in the EvCo standings.
As the No. 4, the Tigers had to play in the pigtail, and they lost to Woodland.
“In a way, we were looking to avenge last season,” Magana said. “I was happy to get a win.”
The win was also extra special for Gruginski. The senior scored eight goals her sophomore year and nine last season, and Magana said she had set a goal for herself to crack double-digits this fall.
Thanks to a recent scoring outburst, Gruginski is already at 10 goals on the season. She needed just eight games to reach that mark.
In net, Braylee Blankenship had another nice night, making five saves.
Centralia and Tumwater sit atop the EvCo standings at 2-0 each, and Magana is confident that the Tigers can keep the momentum moving forward.
“The games that we can win, I want us to get that dub,” Magana said. “We’re starting off good.”
Magana, a Black Hills alum, will lead the Tigers against his former school on Thursday at Tiger Stadium.
