TENINO — A strength of the Tenino High School girls soccer team throughout the season has been set pieces. Whether it’s Kyla Watson sending in a corner or free kick, plus the backline man-marking their oppositions to a tee, it’s been one of their calling cards.
“Usually, we’re the set piece team,” Co-head coach Dave Montgomery said.
They weren’t on Tuesday night.
Two scrums in front of Beavers goalkeeper Gracie Sweet that weren’t cleared ended up in the back of the net to push La Center – the Trico’s No. 3 seed – past Tenino 2-1 in the Class 1A District 4 quarterfinals at Tenino High School.
The Evergreen League’s No. 2 seed will now play an elimination game against Columbia White Salmon on Thursday night at home.
“Not the result we were hoping for tonight,” the other half of the Beavers’ leadership Trevor Fetbrandt said. “Our youth showed a little bit tonight. We’re hitting uncharted territories for this program.”
La Center boasts nine seniors on its roster that have been through the wringer in the playoffs. It won districts two years ago, but hasn’t been back to the state tournament since.
There was a certain energy the Wildcats (10-5-2) brought to open the contest. And the Beavers struggled early to match it.
La Center broke the scoreless game in the 37th minute off a corner kick that caromed towards the feet of Sadie Pratt, who struck it top left over Tenino keeper Gracie Sweet.
Then in the 74th minute, Sweet struggled to cleanly pick up the ball and it bounded around the 18-yard box until Kennedy Brandenburg placed her shot in the same spot to double the margin.
“We always preach attitude defensively and when it comes to 50/50 balls and clearances, there's a tenacity that’s involved,” Fetbrandt said. “There’s this confidence you'll get to anything. Theft made us pay twice for it.”
Multiple chances by Tenino (11-4-2) were just a touch off. Maria Summers got behind her defender and put a header on frame that squeaked by the left post in the 29th minute. It amped the pressure in the final 10 minutes of the first half, but couldn’t find an equalizer.
Callie Mickelson launched a shot from 30-plus yards out that clipped the fingers of the Wildcats’ goalie in the second half. Both of the Beavers’ ensuing corner kicks didn’t materialize into threatening chances.
Passes didn’t connect and the wingers were too high down the sideline. In the end, none of the Beavers’ strengths were working.
“We struggled in the attack quite a bit,” Fetbrandt said. “By the time we put balls into space, we were chasing centerbacks down the field. We compressed our own midfield with the shape we were in.”
They did avoid the shutout with a penalty kick from Mickelson in the 80th minute, but with under two minutes of stoppage time left, they never generated the final push.
Tears were shed in the postgame huddle. Still, Tenino still has two games to reach its first state tourney in four years.
Added bonus? Both will be on their home turf.
“If we can bring the energy, we’re too skilled not to achieve our goals for the season,” Montgomery said.
