Thursday Prep Soccer Roundup: Montesano rebounds from bitter loss to beat Hoquiam

GIRLS PREP SOCCER

Montesano 4, Hoquiam 1

The Montesano Bulldogs responded from a tough loss in its previous game with a hot start to earn a 4-1 victory over Hoquiam on Oct. 17 at Olympic Stadium.

In its first game after suffering a bitter 3-0 loss in a first-place showdown with Tenino on Oct. 15, Montesano started off hot as sophomore forward Jaiden Morrison scored two goals within the first 15 minutes of the game, both on assists from senior Anna Ayres.

“We jumped on them early and it was good to see that, especially after that loss to Tenino,” Monte head coach Fidel Sanchez said. “We got our soccer style back and we did that pretty good tonight.”

Morrison scored in the third and 11th minutes off of feeds from Ayres, but Hoquiam got back in the game with a goal by Taylor Strom in the 28th minute.

But despite soggy field conditions, Monte kept up the pace and pressure, scoring its third goal in the 34th minute on a low shot by Ayres that tucked inside the far post from approximately 20-yards out.

A little over one minute later the Bulldogs took a 4-1 lead when freshman midfielder Jaiden King scored to give Monte a 4-1 lead.

Montesano players celebrate with Jaiden King, second from right, after she scored the Bulldogs’ fourth goal in a win over Hoquiam on Thursday. (Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group)

Monte sits a game behind first-place Tenino — which beat Elma 3-1 on Oct. 17 —in the 1A Evergreen League standings.

The Bulldogs hosted winless Forks on Tuesday, Oct. 22. That game ended too late for this edition. Monte’s next game is a key matchup with Elma today, Oct. 24, at Jack Rottle Field.

The Grizzlies played Elma on Tuesday, but that game also ended too late for this edition.

Montesano 4 0 — 4

Hoquiam 1 0 — 1

Top Players: Montesano — Morrison (2 G, 3rd, 11th minute); Ayres (G, 2 A); King (G, 34th minute). Hoquiam — Strom (G, 28th minute)

Tenino 3, Elma 1

Elma had a hard time containing Tenino’s Morgan Miner as she scored twice in the second half to hand the Eagles a 3-1 loss at Beaver Stadium in Tenino on Oct. 17.

The game started with a steady rain and a steady stream of scoring chances for the Beavers, who put five shot attempts toward Elma’s goal in the first 12 minutes of play.

Elma’s Jillian Bieker, left, gets around Tenino midfielder Megan Letts in the first half of a match on Thursday. (Hasani Grayson | Grays Harbor News Group)

Tenino broke through on a corner kick in the 13th minute. Iris Campesino scored after the ball briefly bounced around deep in the Eagles’ box.

The Beavers generated additional chances, but Grace Koonrad and the Eagles back line was up to the task, clearing the ball out of the box before a Tenino forward could expand on the lead.

Elma head coach Evan Valentine said he liked how his team played despite surrendering an early goal, but thought his team lacked aggression late in the first half.

“I think old habits die hard sometimes,” he said. “They have to maintain that confidence like how they start the game. We’re getting slightly better at every game. It’s not a tired thing, it’s about maintaining confidence in ourselves.”

Tenino took advantage of a couple of miscues by Elma defenders in the second half. Miner scored twice, once in the 47th and later in the 65th minute, both times by intercepting passes from Elma’s backs and beating Koonrad one-on-one to hand the Eagles the loss.

Elma’s Autumn Kearse, right, dribbles the ball up field while Mercy Spencer directs her toward open space in the first half of a road match against Tenino on Thursday. (Hasani Grayson | Grays Harbor News Group)

Valentine said his short-handed team has shown a lot of toughness by staying out there for a full 80 minutes.

“I have very few subs. I don’t have a sub for each position,” he said. “A lot of these players are playing full games already. It shows mental fortitude and I like that.”

Elma showed some fight with 10 minutes to go in the contest. The Eagles forced a corner kick and Janessa Sample put Elma on the board with a low, close-range shot that barley got over the goal line.

Elma 0 1 – 1

Tenino 1 2 – 3

Top Players: Tenino – Miner (2 G, 47th and 65th minute), Campesino (G, 13th minute); Elma – Sample (G, 70th minute)

— Hasani Grayson, Grays Harbor News Group

Montesano midfielder Jaiden Morrison, right, is chased by Hoquiam defender Ellie Winkleman (18) on Thursday at Olympic Stadium. Morrison scored two goals in Monte’s 4-1 victory. (Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group)