TUMWATER — In the final moments of W.F. West’s and Black Hills’ EvCo opener, a draw seemed inevitable.
Both the Bearcats and Wolves had found the back of the net once in the first 78-plus minutes, and though there were plenty of chances for a go-ahead goal, neither team had found a breakthrough.
That was until the 79th minute, when Mirabel Burger stepped up and took a free kick from about 25 yards out.
“I was trying to get it in,” Burger said.
Burger’s free kick took one hop and bounced into the left side of the net, giving W.F. West a 2-1 victory that extends its unbeaten streak to eight games.
After the shot went in, the freshman forward sprinted across the field to a group of teammates who were more than ready to celebrate with her.
“I think I went a little deaf after that,” Burger said with a laugh. “I was just hyped and glad that my team was so happy.”
The winner was actually Burger’s second goal of the night, as she had also scored the equalizer earlier in the second half.
Jana Anderson played a ball up the wing to Burger, who slotted it past the keeper inside the far post.
“We have a lot of pieces that we could play,” W.F. West coach Kevin Schultz said while crediting Anderson for the assist. “I’m really proud of the resiliency of our group today and the way everybody stepped up.”
That resiliency had to come into play early, as the Bearcats fell behind early for the third game in a row.
In just the third minute of the match, Black Hills (2-3-2, 0-1-0 2A EvCo) earned a throw-in deep in the opposing third. Natalie Jarman launched a “gorgeous throw” into the box, where Ciara Nichols slotted it home to put Black Hills on the board early.
“We’ve been really hammering trying to receive the ball out of the air and not letting it drop,” Black Hills coach Jordan Owen said. “That’s what Ciara did.”
Both teams continued to trade chances, as the ball was flying up and down the rain-soaked pitch, but the score remained 1-0 until Burger’s first goal in the 57th minute.
In the second half, the Bearcats (6-0-2, 1-0-0 2A EvCo) managed the wet field better, connecting on more through balls and controlling the ball with more precision than they had in the first 40 minutes.
“We talked at halftime about playing more to each other and more to feet,” Schultz said. “They made a really good adjustment at halftime of connecting some more passes to feet, not playing into space as much. And when they did play to space, just making sure that it was not going to the keeper.
Despite the loss, Owen said she was proud of the effort her group showed, and she said that it only excites her for the rest of the league season.
“It was a hard-fought game,” Owen said. “My girls played great. It was an awesome battle. I was proud of them. … The girls are right where I want them. They played fast, they played to feet tonight, and the chemistry is there. I couldn’t have asked for anything else, except maybe another goal.”
It was a similar sentiment from the Bearcats, who admitted they would’ve been alright with a tie in their league opener on the road.
Instead of a 10-minute golden goal extra time and a potential shootout, the EvCo’s tiebreaking method the last few seasons, the EvCo teams agreed to end games in a draw if tied after 80 minutes of regulation.
“We were gonna be happy with the tie,” Burger said. “But a win just brings our energy up and lets us know that we can beat every other team.”
Both teams will be at home on Tuesday, when Black Hills hosts Shelton and W.F. West welcomes Tumwater.
