Hoquiam and Ocosta drew to a 1-1 tie as we review girls prep soccer matches on the Harbor.
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GIRLS PREP SOCCER
Ocosta 1, Hoquiam 1
It took a few games for Hoquiam to score its first goal of the season, but when it did it left an impact.
Playing in her first game back from injury, Grizzlies sophomore defender Brittany Alcala carried the ball half of the field to score with less than 10 minutes to play to prevent a loss and earn a 1-1 tie with the Ocosta Wildcats on Tuesday at Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam.
The Grizzlies (0-2-1 overall) have struggled to even field a full team this season as injury and eligibility issues led to Hoquiam playing with less than a full team on the pitch in two losses entering Tuesday’s matchup.
But Hoquiam was healthy enough to field a full 11 and some reserves, giving a Grizzlies team that had played with 8-9 players its first two matches a fighting chance.
“It definitely feels nice,” Hoquiam head coach Pedro Weber Cruz. “We’ve got all our starters back, for the most part. They stuck to the game plan. … We can only build from here.”
It was Ocosta (0-0-2) that had majority of scoring chances and offensive zone time though a scoreless first half as the Wildcats welcomed back sophomore phenom Bristol Towle, who has been out since last season with a knee injury.
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Ocosta sophomore forward Bristol Towle (foreground) returned to the pitch after a lengthy knee injury in a 1-1 tie with Hoquiam on Tuesday in Hoquiam.
Towle, center midfielder Scarlett Nelson and defensive midfielder Joanah Rosander lead the pressure into the Hoquiam final third of the pitch throughout the game, but the Grizzlies defense, led by the leadership of senior defender Meribel Mazariegos and goal keeper Emily Brodhead, kept Ocosta off the scoreboard until midway through the second half.
“At practice, we’re always running drills, staying compact, talking, shifting as a unit and clogging the middle,” Weber Cruz said of the defense. “I’m really proud of the defense and the whole team in general. They stuck to the game plan of trying to play off the counter-attack, clogging the middle and trying to force them out wide and that’s what they did.”
Inside the Hoquiam final third, Nelson sent a pass to Rosander standing just outside the corner of the 18-yard box. The junior defender uncorked a hard shot over Brodhead and into the far-top corner of the net. The ball clanged off one of the angled support beams and out, causing the referee to obtain confirmation from the linesman. The shot was ruled a goal and Ocosta took a 1-0 lead in the 57th minute.
“Joanah Rosander was the real deal out there tonight and showed some serious leadership qualities throughout the entire match,” Ocosta head coach Daniel Langer said. “Her goal was well deserved and an absolute stunner.”
With just eight minutes left in the game and facing its third loss to start the season, Alcala – playing in her first game back from injury – got the ball on the win near midfield and raced down the left sideline before cutting across the 18 then slotting a shot past the Ocosta keeper for a goal, tying the game in the 72nd minute.
Alcala’s goal was the first this season for the beleaguered Grizzlies, and their emotional celebration immediately after exhibited as much.
“It was definitely a burden off our shoulders, more so for (the players),” Weber Cruz said. “Having Brittany (Alcala) back is a huge help, she normally plays defense but going into this season we told her she was going to play positions she’s never played before because she has a really good mindset as far as hustling and fighting for the ball. That’s kind of what we’ve been lacking. So if we move her to the midfield area, that should work because we’ve seen what she could do at practice. She’s not scared to shoot.”
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Hoquiam’s Brittany Alcala (right) celebrates with teammates Brooklyn Sears (8), Kenzie Stankavich (background left) and Lyric Ramstien (background right) after scoring the first Grizzlies goal of the season in the second half of a 1-1 tie on Tuesday in Hoquiam.
Both teams would have chances over the final minutes, but no further goals were scored as the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
“It seemed like everything we’ve been working on in practice finally came together today, not just because of the goal, but just how they played,” Weber Cruz said. “They started off strong, ended relatively strong and then the goal finally came and it was a huge relief for the girls.”
“We had some attacks but I’ve got to be honest, it was not at the level today. This was nowhere near where we can play and what we know of the girls,” Langer said, explaining his team often played panicked. “The biggest thing was a lack of lifting the head and a lack of composure in possession. I saw a lot of panic. All the girls have to relax a little more. … We call it boot-ball and we’re trying to avoid it and move away from it. … They are a young team and they know the level, and that was not the level. … This was a hurdle that we kind of stumbled. Time to lift ourselves up and go for the rest of the week.”
Ocosta had 23 shots in the game, 12 on target.
Hoquiam faces Black Hills at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Black Hills High School.
Ocosta hosts Winlock at 6 p.m. on Monday.
Ocosta 0 1 – 1
Hoquiam 0 1 – 1
Scoring
First half – none.
Second half – 1, Ocosta, Rosander (Nelson), 57th minute. 2, Hoquiam, Alcala, 72nd minute.
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Montesano 4, Bellevue Christian 4
A flurry of second-half goals ended in Montesano drawing 4-4 with Bellevue Christian on Tuesday at Marymoor Park in Redmond.
The Bulldogs (3-1-1) trailed the Vikings (1-0-1) 2-0 after goals in the 19th and 25th minutes.
Monte roared back to tie the game on goals by forwards Lex Stanfield and Jaelyn Butterfield 47th and 52nd minutes, with each assisting on their counterpart’s goal.
Bellevue Christian regained the lead with a goal in the 61st minute, but two Monte goals just 14 seconds apart – one by senior defender Mary Campbell followed by another from junior winger Haley Schweppe – gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the game at 4-3.
But a defensive breakdown in the final 10 minutes allowed the Vikings to tie the game in the 72nd minute, leading to the 4-4 tie.
Montesano hosts Centralia at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
Montesano 0 4 – 4
Bellevue Chr. 2 2 – 4
Scoring
First half – 1, Bellevue Chr., 19th minute. 2, Bellevue Chr., 25th minute.
Second half – 3, Montesano, Stanfield (Butterfield), 47th minute. 4, Montesano, Butterfield (Stanfield), 52nd minute. 5, Bellevue Chr., 61st minute. 6, Montesano, Campbell, 67th minute. 7, Montesano, Schweppe, 67th minute. 8, Bellevue Chr., 72nd minute.
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Aberdeen 1, Rochester 0
One second-half goal was enough as Aberdeen defeated Rochester 1-0 on Tuesday at Rochester High School.
Playing on a notoriously narrow field with an uneven, patchy pitch, Bobcats Mile Anderson and Kennedy Kolodzie each had close shots that were saved in a scoreless first half.
In the second half, the Cats broke through when Kolodzie too the ball at midfield, turned and sent a through ball that Shay Dunlap ran on to. Dunlap maneuvered into the 18-yard box and belted a shot inside the near post in the 60th minute for the only goal of the game.
“It was a very tough field to play soccer on. It was narrow, uneven, with patches of grass and deep holes,” Aberdeen head coach Larry Fleming said. “The girls played hard but had some difficulty controlling the ball so were limited to just sending the ball forward and trying to be aggressive winning the ball.”
Aberdeen outshot the Warriors (2-4) 13-5.
Cats keepers Anni Devine and Xela Kowoosh combined for their third shutout of the season.
Fleming commended his defense and midfielders for their performances.
“The defense of Hana Lessard, Alyssa Yakovich, Klemi Servellon, Joie Mayberry and Kendalynn Garman were the main reason for the shutout,” he said. “Dunlap and Arani Garcia did some strong work at midfield for the Bobcats as well.”
Aberdeen faces Elma at 7 p.m. Thursday at Stewart Field in Aberdeen.
Aberdeen 0 1 – 1
Rochester 0 0 – 0
Scoring
First half – none.
Second half – 1, Aberdeen, Dunlap (Kolodzie), 60th minute.
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Other games
Centralia 5, Elma 0
