Preparing for girls soccer: The T-Birds score four goals in a row as the Bearcats move past

By Zach Martin / [email protected]

There was no panic on the Tumwater High School girls soccer team. Even though they were 1-0 down in the first eight minutes, they felt like it was their job to lose.

And it only took four extra minutes to take control of an Evergreen Conference contest.

Kayla Pope took a penalty kick in the 10th minute and Emalyn Shaffer buried a rebound a minute later, the first pair of four consecutive goals in the Thunderbirds' 4-1 win over WF West on Tuesday night in Chehalis.

“We were more confident,” Shaffer said. “We knew it was just another league game. Those two (goals) sealed the deal. We knew what kind of team we were and what we could do.”

Since draws in back-to-back games against Skyview and Union, Tumwater's starting lineup of Trinity Edwards, Allison Woods, Chloe Foos and Cassidy Hedin – along with rotation players Sy'Rai Culp and Cadynce Lee – has allowed just three goals in regulation in 320 minutes.

Edwards and Woods have been starters at center back for three years, while Foos is a returning starter at left wing back. Hedin moved from striker to full-time full-back on the right side.

The chemistry between this quartet has clearly shown over the last three weeks.

“They're kids that understand how to defend, they understand what we want to do defensively,” Tumwater co-head coach Brett Bartlett said. “It’s not an old-school defense. Your ability to organize things is really important to us.”

WF West main forward Ashlen Gruginski and wingers Rhylee Beebe and Lauren Kelley were neutral for most of the evening. The Bearcats changed their formation to a 4-2-3-1 and added a second defensive midfielder.

The opportunities to apply pressure never arose. They were prevented from having two shots on goal for 80 minutes.

“We struggled to gain possession of the ball in the final third,” said WF West head coach Kevin Schultz. “Some of our transition moments on offense when we were able to get the ball to Ashlen’s feet were good.”

For eleven minutes it seemed to resemble a shootout.

Gruginski was fouled in the penalty area and Emily Mallonee scored a penalty kick in the seventh minute to give WF West an early 1-0 lead. It took about three minutes when Tumwater (5-1-2, 2-0 EvCo) was fouled in the penalty area.

Pope passed Charlee Nelson on the left for the equalizer. On the following kick, Shaffer was quickly passed an over-the-top ball and she fired a touch past Nelson.

The ball hit the post, but the senior followed her shot and shot the ball into the goal. Shaffer scored her second goal in the 34th minute off an assist from Pope.

“I’m getting out of my own head and having confidence,” Shaffer said.

Bartlett doesn't take for granted what the reigning EvCo Offensive Player of the Year can do with a ball at her feet.

“She’s a special attacking player,” he said. “She has a lot of really great qualities. We were lucky to have her.”

Reese Heryford gave the T-Birds the finishing touches to victory in the 61st minute. They registered a total of 20 shots and 15 were in the picture. Nelson finished the game with nine saves for WF West (5-2, 1-1), which was warned for three offsides.

There was also a yellow card in the first half and a corner towards the end of the last 40 minutes.

“They have some lofty goals,” Schultz said of his group. “We have to stay consistent and trust that we can do it for 80 minutes.”

Tumwater and WF West both headed to Grays Harbor County on Thursday to face Shelton and Aberdeen, respectively.