Eighth-ranked Elma and sixth-ranked Montesano renewed their highly-competitive rivalry as we review all your girls prep soccer games from Thursday on the Harbor.

GIRLS PREP SOCCER

Elma 1, Montesano 0

Unlike its previous three meetings between two of the state’s top 10 teams, this one didn’t go to a shootout.

A Miley Seaberg goal in the first half followed by some key saves from Emmie Spencer in the second half was what was needed as Elma defeated Montesano 1-0 in a 1A Evergreen League matchup on Friday at Jack Rottle Field in Montesano.

Elma (12-3 overall, 5-2 1A Evergreen) played with energy in the first half, using multiple give-and-go passes to penetrate into the Montesano defensive end.

The offensive pressure paid off when junior forward Valerie Echeverria sent a pass to Seaberg, who took a dribble then hit right-footed shot from the top of the 18-yard box that squeezed through two Montesano defenders. The shot lacked pace but had eyes as it rolled toward the right post and slid under the arm of diving Monte goal keeper Riley Timmons, who was partially screened on the play.

PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Elma midfielder Miley Seaberg, right, in congratulated by Beta Valentine (12) and Aaleigha Weld (4) while Montesano’s Bethanie Henderson looks on after scoring a goal in the first half of a 1-0 win Thursday in Montesano.

“Honestly, I didn’t think it was going in. It rolled really slow but it barely went right under her arm,” Seaberg said of her goal in the 26th minute. “I was shocked (when it went in). I didn’t think it was going in. I froze for a second but I was so happy it did.”

Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Montesano (10-3-2, 6-1) made the adjustments in the second half to generate offense of its own.

The Bulldogs nearly tied the game in the early stages of the second half when freshman forward Jaelyn Butterfield got behind the Elma defense on a breakaway, but Elma goal keeper Emmie Spencer came off her line to make the stop.

Later in the half, the game took an ominous turn for Elma when, with less than seven minutes left to go, standout Montesano midfielder Bethanie Henderson had the ball at her feet for a long free kick.

It was Henderson’s goal off a free kick late in the second half of their first meeting this season that pushed the game into overtime, which Monte eventually won on penalty kicks.

Henderson took the free kick from 30-yards away in an attempt to lob it over the head of Spencer, as she had done back on Oct. 3, but this time the ball sailed a few feet over the cross bar as Elma retained its 1-0 lead.

Another great Monte chance was thwarted in the game’s final minutes when a high-arcing lob toward the Elma net was misplayed by an Eagles defender, allowing the ball to skip forward and be chased down by Butterfield, who once again had a 1-on-1 with Spencer.

But the ever-daring Elma keeper read the play perfectly, meeting Butterfield at the point of attack to force a shot wide of the net.

“I saw it go over (the Elma defenders head) and I thought, ‘Oh no.’ So I came out of my box a little bit and saw (Butterfield) take a touch to the left and I knew how to go that way. She kicked it and I nicked it just enough to go outside the post,” said Spencer, who immediately pumped her fist and shouted in jubilation after the clutch save. “I had to get up and get pumped because I was like, ‘Let’s pick it up team.’”

Elma’s defense kept Monte from generating any further chances, leading to a key 1-0 win for the Eagles.

“This (win) helps us when we’re getting set up for districts and state,” Seaberg said of the victory. “Losing to them at our place really stunk because we were ahead like we were this time and they came back. This game made me feel like how we played them in Tenino when we won the district championship (last season). I got that same feeling.”

“I think between the last game in Tenino and this game, we’ve really stepped it up,” Elma head coach Evan Valentine said. “I think we’re playing our best soccer and I know we can even do better, which is awesome going into districts. That’s what we’re looking for.”

PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Elma senior midfielder Eliza Sibbett, left, dribbles away from Montesano defenders during a 1-0 win on Thursday in Montesano.

“This is our prime,” Spencer said of how Elma is currently playing. “This is the perfect time. We had a couple of tough losses that one week and we just never looked back. We just had to get better from there.”

The win puts Elma in prime position to claim the league’s No. 2 spot entering the district playoffs with a win over Eatonville in its league finale at 7 p.m. Monday in Eatonville.

“We knew we had to come back and we had a good win Tuesday (over Tenino),” Spencer said. “We’re just going to carry the momentum to Eatonville and we can only go up from here.”

After the game, Coach Valentine praised Montesano for their level of play in what has become one of the state’s great in-league rivalries over the past few seasons.

“I have to demonstrate my appreciation for Monte,” he said. “They have the league clinched and they still give us a game like this. … The win is good for us in a lot of ways, ranking-wise and mentality. I’m so happy to get a win like this, with no penalty kicks, with no overtime. Just a normal regulation win against a wonderful team like Monte where it gives our team momentum.”

PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Elma’s Valerie Echeverria, left, and Montesano’s Dekotah Parks jockey for possession during the Eagles’ 1-0 win over the Bulldogs on Thursday in Montesano.

The loss likely doesn’t change much for Montesano as far as the league standings are concerned as the Bulldogs can clinch with a win over Hoquiam in its league finale at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

“We’re not at full strength. We are missing two starters right now and we’re putting players where they normally don’t play,” said Monte head coach Fidel Sanchez, whose team is without First Team all-state senior forward Mikayla Stanfield and top defender Addi Kersker. “I like how we are playing without our starting 11. The younger players are playing well and are stepping up. That’s a cool thing to see, when you are playing a team that is at full strength and you are not at full strength and you are still taking it to them. I don’t even think they had a shot on goal in the second half. … I’m proud of the girls. We played a really good game and moved the ball well.”

Ever looking to face the state’s best competition, Montesano – which is currently the state’s No. 6 team in the WIAA RPI rankings – will face No. 2 Cedar Park Christian (12-1) at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Montesano.

Elma 1 0 – 1

Montesano 0 0 – 0

Scoring

First half – 1, Elma, Seaberg (Echeverria), 26th minute.

Second half – None.

Tumwater 3, Aberdeen 0

Some tough penalty-kick calls worked against Aberdeen in a 3-0 loss to undefeated Tumwater on Thursday in Tumwater.

The Bobcats (7-6, 6-4 1A Evergreen) and Thunderbirds were locked in a scoreless tie until late in the first half when Aberdeen’s Miley Anderson was called for a foul in the box after what appeared to be a Tumwater player backing into her, spinning then falling down, according to Cats head coach Larry Fleming.

Tumwater (14-0-1, 11-0) converted the subsequent penalty kick for a 1-0 lead at halftime.

The T-Birds doubled its lead on a breakaway goal early in the second half.

In the 74th minute, Aberdeen senior goal keeper Jaylynn Phimmasone raced off her line to attempt to stop another Tumwater breakaway. Phimmasone’s block was followed by a T-Birds player tripping over the Cats’ senior keeper, which drew a whistle from the referee and earned Tumwater its second penalty kick of the game, which was converted for a 3-0 lead.

“We were very unfortunate to play as well and as tough as we did and get called for a couple penalties that aren’t called anytime but tonight,” Fleming said. “Awesome effort by our girls against a very good team.”

Phimmasone, senior midfielder/sweeper Zoe Troeh and senior defender Esmerelda Vega were commended by Fleming for their performances in the loss.

Aberdeen sits in a tie for third place in the 2A Evergreen Conference with Centralia.

The Cats will host Shelton on Senior Night and Youth Soccer Night at 7 p.m. on Tuesday followed by a big league-clash at Centralia on Thursday.

Aberdeen 0 0 – 0

Tumwater 1 2 – 3

Eatonville 3, Hoquiam 2

(Eatonville wins 4-2 on penalty kicks)

The Hoquiam girls soccer program must be feeling a lot like legendary American writer and humorist Mark Twain, who famously once said, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”

One game after forfeiting due to lack of players against Elma a week prior, a Hoquiam youth movement nearly helped pull off an upset as the Grizzlies fell to Eatonville 3-2 (4-2 on penalty kicks) on Thursday at Olympic Stadium.

The key for Hoquiam (1-11, 0-6 1A Evergreen), which was down to 10 available players last week, was bringing up five eighth graders to compete as varsity players, many of whom had an immediate impact against the Cruisers (8-4, 4-2).

Eatonville got on the board first with a goal from junior striker Mary VanEaton just six minutes into the game.

But with a much more robust squad, Hoquiam was able to respond. Eighth grader RenaéJah Burtenshaw scored off an assist from senior Chloey Dietrick to tie the game in the 26th minute.

Burtenshaw continued her impressive varsity debut with a goal on an open shot from the top corner of the 18-yard box for a 2-1 lead in the 38th minute.

VanEaton tied the game with a goal just three minutes later and neither team scored in the second half and through two overtime periods as the game went into a penalty-kick shootout.

In the shootout, Hoquiam freshman midfielder Vrizza Renteria and Dietrick scored but it wasn’t enough as the Grizzlies fell 4-2.

Despite suffering its eighth-straight loss, Hoquiam is hopeful for the future after the influx of underclassmen led to a more competitive style of play.

“Kudos to our eighth graders and our seniors for accepting them right away,” Schmid said. “They made it work and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

The influx of young talent allowed Schmid to move most of her best players off the the defensive back line and into positions that generated offense, most notably senior Briana Herrera.

With eighth grade defensive sweeper Brittany Alcala, who Schmid said “dominated,” Herrera moved up to midfield, where she able to open up the Grizzlies offense with her ability to get the ball to open players.

“She was able to feed the ball to the forwards and help push the ball up,” Schmid said. “She was that person we’ve been missing.”

Hoquiam faces Tenino at 6 p.m. on Monday on the black turf at Tenino High School.

Eatonville 2 0 – 0

Hoquiam 2 0 – 0

Scoring

First half – 1, Eatonville, VanEaton, 6th minute. 2, Hoquiam, Burtenshaw (Dietrick), 26th minute. 3, Hoquiam, Burtenshaw, 35th minute. 4, Eatonville, VanEaton, 38th minute.

Second half – None.

First overtime – None.

Second overtime – None.

Penalty kicks – Eatonville 4. Hoquiam 2 (Renteria, Dietrick).