GIRLS PREP SOCCER
Taylor Strom’s penalty kick prowess sent the Grizzlies girls soccer team to districts on Saturday in Montesano.
Strom picked up a penalty kick goal in the first half and another one late in the second half to give Hoquiam a 2-1 win over Elma in a Class 1A District IV Tournament play-in game.
Hoquiam played Castle Rock on the road Tuesday in another elimination game. That game ended too late for this edition.
Strom’s second successful penalty attempt came with score tied at a goal apiece in the 70th minute when an Elma player was called for a handball in the box.
The senior midfielder sent her shot under the cross bar and over Grace Koonrad’s outstretched arms to give Hoquiam a 2-1 lead with just over 10 minutes to go.
“I didn’t want to power it. I just wanted to position the ball because if I go with power I could send it over the bar,” Strom said. “I was just trying to deiced what corner to go to and what way the keeper was looking.”
Elma looked to tie the game in the waning minutes but came up short after the Eagles failed to connect on a corner kick just before the final whistle.
Once the ball found its way away from Hoquiam’s goal, the Grizzlies did all they could to kill the clock and held possession for the final two minutes of regulation.
Elma head coach Evan Valentine said it was a disappointing way to conclude the season,
“Soccer is a really ruthless game and it works out that way. You can have better stats in every single category and they can get two calls that go their way and you lose. That’s how soccer is, it’s unforgiving,” he said. “Even though we were the better team today, we didn’t win. That’s what happens sometimes.”
Elma didn’t score until the second half but appeared to be on its way to an early goal with how they controlled the pace of play early in the contest.
The Eagles’ offensive attack generated four corner kicks in the first 20 minutes of play but Elma couldn’t find a way to get on the board.
It was Hoquiam that scored first in the 25th minute when a foul was called in the box and Strom came on for her first penalty kick of the day.
She placed her shot low and to the right to beat Paige Knutson and give Hoquiam a 1-0 lead.
Knutson was placed on the bench due to injury after a half of play but came up with a key diving save on a shot by Sadie Carlyle to keep the deficit from growing.
Elma went much of the second half without producing too many scoring chances but finally broke through in the 65th minute.
Harlee Nelson ran on to a bouncing ball and blasted a shot to the far post from about 20 yards out to tie the game.
The game was tied for roughly five minutes until Strom’s decisive penalty kick.
Hoquiam head coach Drew Grannemann said his team did well to not panic when the score was tied and acknowledged that a little bit of luck helped them continue the season.
“We didn’t over react, we were able to adapt defensively. We had opportunities, and I think we should have finished a couple of them but we just kind of got lucky with the bounce of the ball today,” he said.
Hoquiam’s next opponent finished the season second in the Class 1A Trico three games behind league-winning La Center. Grannemann said he expects the Rockets’ physicality to be on display.
“We used to play them every year, and we haven’t lost to them recently. (The 1A Trico) is going through a transition period with King’s Way not playing so well and La Center coming out on top,” he said. “They play tough down there. They’re physical and kind of tough. It should be fun.”
Washougal 2, Aberdeen 0
Aberdeen struggled to get shots on goal in what proved to be its final game of the season as the Bobcats fell 2-0 to Washougal in a 2A District IV play-in game at Stewart Field on Thursday, Oct. 31.
The Bobcats (8-8 overall) played solid defense for much of the first half but couldn’t do much in the Panthers’ end of the field.
Washougal was held at bay for much of the first half but got on the scoreboard in the 32nd minute when Kailee Neyer settled a bouncing ball just outside the box and ripped a shot past Aberdeen keeper Char Gutierrez.
Aberdeen head coach Larry Fleming said Washougal’s ball control gave it the edge.
“We had space and our first touch at times was pretty good, but it’s just connecting with that pass. I’m not sure if it’s us not communicating quick enough or whether we were accurate enough in our passing,” he said. “The difference in the game to me was, yeah they’ve got some good players, but we do too. We just didn’t connect on the possessions.”
Despite its struggles, Aberdeen went into the locker room down by just a goal and looked to apply more pressure in the second half.
Aberdeen had two shot attempts in the first 10 minutes of the second half, but neither forced Panthers goalie Brooke Dayley to make a save as both shots were off frame.
Washougal (11-6) turned the tide as the match went on, however, as more of the match was played in Aberdeen’s side of the field. Gutierrez made three key saves late in the second half, including a diving save in the 67th minute to keep the deficit at 1-0 for the time being.
The Panthers continued to bring pressure and found the back of the net for a second time with a hard shot from the right side of the box off the foot of Aurora Espinoza in the 73rd minute.
Emmy Walsh nearly got the Bobcats on the board in the 79th minute as she streaked toward goal with a defender on her heels, but Dayley got a piece of the shot to tip it wide of the goal.
Though his team wasn’t able to continue its season, Larry Fleming said he’s proud of what his young team accomplished this season.
“(Washougal) has some good players with some good power, but I thought we held up pretty well. It was 1-0 the whole time just about and we almost scored at the end to make it 2-1,” he said. “I’m pretty happy with how it turned out and I’m happy with the season with a pretty young group.”
Aberdeen 0 0 – 0
Washougal 1 1 – 2
Top Players: Washougal – Espinoza (G, 32nd minute), Neyer (G, 72nd minute)
Elma 9, Raymond-South Bend 0
Jilian Bieker tallied three goals and three assists to lead the Elma Eagles to a 9-0 win over Raymond-South Bend on Oct. 31 at Davis Field in Elma.
Bieker scored in the fourth minute to get Elma on the board.
Elma (6-8-2, 5-5 Evergreen 1A) then scored three goals in the span of six minutes, started by a Bieker tally in the 24th minute followed by a Grace Spencer goal a minute later.
Bieker then scored an unassisted goal to give the Eagles a 4-0 lead in the 30th minute.
Harlee Nelson scored a pair of goals and Janessa Sample and Chloe Clark also scored for Elma in the victory.
Raymond-South Bend 0 0 — 0
Elma 5 4 — 9
Top Players: Elma — Bieker (3 G, 4th, 24th, 30th minutes, 3 A); Nelson (2 G, 50th, 64th minute); Clark (G, 37th minute, A); Spencer (G, 25th minute, A); Sample (G, 48th minute); Emily Newberry (A)
— Ryan Sparks, Grays Harbor News Group
Hoquiam 10, Forks 0
Hoquiam’s Sadie Carlyle and Taylor Strom both scored hat tricks in a dominant 10-0 home win over Forks to close out the regular season Oct. 31 at Olympic Stadium.
Carlyle started the scoring by picking up a goal in the third minute and added goals in the seventh and 16th minutes to complete her hat trick before halftime.
Strom got on the score sheet in the 10th minute and added two more tallies in the 44th and 60th minutes in her hat-trick performance.
Strom and Caryle’s passing were also on display as they both picked up an assist as well.
Hoquiam head coach Drew Grannemann said it was good to see seniors Strom and Kara Blodgett make contributions on Senior Night.
“Tonight was a great way to celebrate our seniors and a good way to finish off regular-season play,” he said.
Hoquiam 4 6 – 10
Forks 0 0 – 0
Top Players: Hoquiam – Sadie Carlyle (3, G, 3rd, 7th and 16th minute), Strom (3 G, 10th , 44th and 60th minutes)
Tenino 1, Montesano 0
Montesano lost another close game with the league’s first-place team after suffering a 1-0 loss to Tenino on Oct. 31 in Montesano.
Montesano (12-4, 8-2 Evergreen 1A) had some promising scoring opportunities in first 15 minutes, but couldn’t get on the board.
Tenino (15-0-1, 10-0) began to create more chances to score as the match went on and its aggressive play payed off when the Beavers drew a foul outside of the box.
Brieanna Dell converted on the free kick opportunity and got her shot over the wall to beat the Monte keeper for the only tally of the game.
Montesano suffered a 3-0 loss to the Beavers earlier in the season, but Bulldogs head coach Fidel Sanchez said he was encouraged by the result.
“We’re right there,” he said. “The first time we played them, we practically gave them three goals in the first game and today we played our best and we lost 1-0.”
Montesano will now look forward to its 1A District IV Tournament match against King’s Way Christian.
The Bulldogs beat the Knights 3-0 on Sept. 19. Tuesday’s game ended too late for this edition.
Tenino 0 1 – 1
Montesano 0 0 – 0
Top Players: Tenino – Dell (G, 74th minute)
Aberdeen 4, Rochester 2
Aberdeen got its offense to heat up on a frigid night with a 4-2 win at Rochester to close out the regular season on Oct. 29.
The Bobcats (8-7, 5-5 Evergreen 2A) hang on to the fourth seed in the league with the win and will face Washougal at Stewart Field on Oct. 31 at 6 p.m. in the first round of the 2A District IV Tournament.
Aberdeen could have moved up to third with a win over the Warriors (2-13-1, 1-9) and a loss by WF West, but the Bearcats beat Centralia 6-0, also on Oct. 29.
Rochester and Aberdeen had to deal with cold temperatures that hovered just above freezing at kick off. Aberdeen forward Emmy Walsh said it was hard to stay warm even when she was running around on the field.
“I can’t feel my toes,” she said after the game. “I haven’t played a game this cold in my entire high school career. We just told each other to keep moving and kept each other energized.”
Aberdeen’s movement and energy paid off in the 13th minute when the Bobcats forced a corner kick. Walsh took the corner, and after the ball bounced around in the box, Emma Green settled it and beat the keeper to the far post to give Aberdeen the lead.
Green picked up a goal of her own in the 28th minute when she went on a run starting around midfield and beat the keeper from 10-yards out to put the Bobcats up 2-0.
Madison Gore capped off the first-half scoring for Aberdeen when she headed in a goal off of a cross from Walsh in the 39th minute, putting Aberdeen up 3-0.
Aberdeen head coach Larry Fleming said the offensive output in the first half is some of the best he’s seen all season.
“We scored three goals in the first half and we haven’t done that since our first game against Centralia,” he said. “We just got to relax and play everybody.”
Aberdeen experimented with its line up in the second half and moved starting goalie Charlize Gutierrez to forward.
Gutierrez took advantage of her time in Rochester’s attacking third and came up with a goal on a shot deep in the box in the 63rd minute that gave Aberdeen a 4-0 lead.
With players playing away from their normal positions, Rochester picked up late goals in the 72nd and 73rd minutes from Kaylei Clark.
With the 2A District IV Tournament just days away, Walsh said it was good to pick up a comfortable victory to boost confidence.
Aberdeen 3 1 – 4
Rochester 0 2 – 2
Top Player: Aberdeen – Green (G, 13th minute), Walsh (G, 28th minute), Gore (G, 39th minute), Gutierrez (G, 63rd minute); Rochester – Clark (2 G, 72nd and 73 minute)
Elma 5, Forks 0
Elma scored three goals in a 10-minute span to blow open a close game in a 5-0 rout over the Forks Spartans on Oct. 29 in Forks.
Elma lead 1-0 on an unassisted goal by Chloe Clark in the first half, but the Eagles blew the game open midway through the second half.
Jillian Bieker scored off an assist to Janessa Sample followed by a goal from freshman Grace Spencer, with Clark delivering an assist. Bieker scored her second goal in 10 minutes, taking a pass from Spencer and scoring to give Elma a 4-0 lead.
The Eagles’ scoring blitz concluded with Spencer’s second goal of the game off an assist from Dani Carpenter with eight minutes left in the game.
Elma’s defense held Forks scoreless without a shot in the game.
Elma head coach Evan Valentine commended the improved play of Spencer.
“It was awesome to see her get on the score sheet,” he said. “She’s had opportunities this season, they just hadn’t fallen her way. Today, they did.”
Elma 1 4 — 5
Forks 0 0 — 0
Top Players: Elma — Spencer (G, 2 A); Bieker (2 G); Clark (G, A); Sample (A); Carpenter (A)
— Ryan Sparks, Grays Harbor News Group
Montesano 6, Raymond-South Bend 0
Montesano’s Brooke Streeter scored four goals to lead the Bulldogs to a 6-0 win over the Raymond-South Bend Riptide on Oct. 29 in South Bend.
Streeter scored goals in the second, fourth, 33rd and 52nd minutes to lead Montesano.
The win keeps Monte one game behind Tenino for the league lead.
— Ryan Sparks, Grays Harbor News Group
BOYS PREP GOLF
Montesano’s Wills takes second in districts
Hoquiam’s Michael Jump shot a 154 to win the championship at the 1A District IV Golf Championship meet on Oct. 24-25 at Tumwater Valley Golf Course.
In addition to winning the district title, Jump was also awarded with the Evergreen/Trico League’s MVP award.
Montesano’s Ben Wills placed second with a score of 163.
Scores for the district tournament are as follows:
League MVP — Jump, Hoquiam, 154.
First Team — Wills, Montesano, 163; Collin Newberry, La Center, 165; Ty Mairs, King’s Way Chrisitian, 165; Cole Entenman, La Center, 167; Caeden Fender, La Center, 169; Noah Sudderth, Hoquiam, 169
Second Team — Aaron Sundahl, La Center, 170; Ben Royer, Montesano, 171; Aiden Pisarczyk, KWC, 173; Jared Moline, Elma, 175
— Ryan Sparks, Grays Harbor News Group
PREP VOLLEYBALL
Elma 3, Forks 0
Elma will finish the season undefeated in league play after closing out the regular season with a 3-0 win over Forks on Oct. 31.
Elma (12-2, 8-0 Evergreen 1A) took the match 25-7, 25-21 and 25-20 and got an impressive performance out of Kali Rambo, who contributed 18 kills and six aces.
Elma head coach Kendra Dunn said she was pleased with her team’s concentration despite emotions that come with senior night.
“It was Senior Night, so we wanted to do it for the seniors and they came out ready to play. They had a lot of emotions, but we had a goal of being undefeated league champs,” she said. “I’m really proud of them pushing hard for what they wanted to achieve.”
Elma will get a first-round bye in the 1A District Tournament and will play the winner of the Forks-Castle Rock game, which was Wednesday at Montesano High School. That match ended too late for this edition.
Willapa Valley 3, North Beach 0
The Willapa Valley Vikings took advantage of North Beach errors en route to a straight-set victory on Oct. 30 at North Beach High School.
More importantly, the Vikings’ victory clinches the 2B Pacific League title and No. 1 district tournament seed for the Vikings.
Willapa Valley (13-1, 9-1 Pacific 2B) won by scores of 25-6, 25-13 and 25-9 and were led by Hailee Layman’s four kills and seven blocks.
Lauryn McGough and Olivia Betrozoff added four kills apiece and Britney Patrick and Katie Adkins were perfect from the service line, going 32-for-32 with four aces combined.
The victory wraps up a stellar regular season for the Titans, whose only loss on the season was in a non-league contest to Ocosta in five sets on Sept. 17.
That loss helped to springboard Willapa Valley’s current 12-game winning streak and undefeated league record.
“They were upset when they lost to Ocosta, and I told them not to be upset, it’s the league game that counts,” Willapa Valley head coach Karisa Hodel said. “I just told them their goal from the beginning was to be league champs and to focus on that goal. They made it a goal to not lose a league game. They wanted to prove they could do it and they did that.”
Willapa Valley 25 25 25 — 3
North Beach 6 13 9 — 0
Top Players: Willapa Valley — Layman (4 kills, 7 blocks); Betrozoff (4 kills); McGough (4 kills); Patrick (17-17 service, 2 aces, 3 blocks); Adkins (15-15 service, 2 aces, 11 digs); Lanissa Amacher (13 assists)
— Ryan Sparks, Grays Harbor News Group
Rochester 3, Aberdeen 1
Aberdeen closed out its winless season with a 3-1 loss to Rochester on Oct. 31 in Aberdeen.
Aberdeen won just its third set of the season by taking the first set 25-18, but lost the next three sets by scores of 25-21, 25-14 and 25-13 on Senior Night.
The Bobats (0-15, 0-10 Evergreen 2A) were led by Kennedy Pruett’s 18 kills and Allye Troseth’s four aces and 17-for-17 service game.
