VANCOUVER — A slow start by Montesano allowed King’s Way Christian to take full control to claim the District IV 1A girls soccer title on Saturday afternoon.
The Knights scored twice in the first 10 minutes and never allowed the Bulldogs to gain a foothold in a 4-0 decision at King’s Way Christian in Vancouver.
On Tuesday or Wednesday, Montesano (12-4-2) will travel to either Cascade Christian or Klahowya for the first round of the state 1A playoffs.
“We came out very tentative in the first 10 minutes and King’s Way really pressed to get those goals,” Montesano assistant coach Rick Denholm said. “Our girls settled down from there and it was 50-50 for the rest of the first half. The ball was on our side of the field most of the second half. We had some decent shots, but couldn’t finish.”
KWC scored in the third and 10th minutes to lead 2-0 at halftime. The hosts added goals in the 60th and 77th minutes for the final tally.
Elma 2, Seton Catholic 0
VANCOUVER — Backed by a full-team defensive effort and timely shots on-goal, Elma punched its ticket to the state 1A playoffs for the first time in three seasons with a win over Seton Catholic in the District IV 1A third-place match on Saturday.
On Tuesday or Wednesday, Elma (13-5) will hit the road to Yakima to take on La Salle in the state 1A first round. Time and location of the match have not been determined yet.
“It was a good, hard fought game,” Elma head coach Scott Rockey said. “We expected a tough game. Montesano won, 2-1, on Thursday and we saw the game. We got opportunities and we capitalized on them.”
Playing at King’s Way Christian High School, the Eagles took flight by counter-attacking the Cougars on every chance they’d get. Freshman midfielder Jillian Bieker opened the scoring with a 40-yard speculative shot in the 43rd minute.
With space, Bieker sent the shot on goal and the ball dipped just under the crossbar for the score. Late in the first half, Bieker attempted a similar shot and hit the crossbar to stay out.
“They were all speculative,” Rockey said of his team’s shots. “They gave her some space, which allowed her to line up the shot and hit it. The first one hit the crossbar and, with top spin, stayed out.”
Brooke Sutherby made it 2-0 in the 54th minute when defender Dallas Trusty got the ball to midfielder Peyton Elliott, who threaded the ball through the Cougars’ defense onto Sutherby’s foot. From there, the sophomore forward sent the ball home for the score.
“We were stacking girls back (after the second goal), but we were able to transition out on offense,” Rockey added. “We stayed pretty mobile. The girls are excited. We’re looking forward to state.”
