4A Girls Soccer | Eastlake moves on
LAKEWOOD - Eastlake wouldn’t let its first deficit of the season prevent a berth in the state-championship match.
Down 1-0 with seven minutes left in a semifinal game of the Class 4A state girls soccer tournament at Lakewood’s Harry Lang Stadium, Eastlake midfielder Lindsay Elston scored to tie it and the defense held to send the match to overtime. After two scoreless five-minute overtimes, Eastlake - and Elston - rode the late-game momentum and outscored Richland 3-1 in a shootout to advance to tonight’s championship against Beamer at 8 p.m.
“We prepared for this,” said Eastlake coach Chuck Krieble of the possibility of trailing late in a game. “You either go back and fight for it or lose 2-0.”
Wolves keeper Shelby Nilsen had a clutch save in the shootout and got help on two others by the right post. Elston capped off her night with the winner, a shot that deflected off the right post and into the net.
Things were looking bleak for Eastlake (18-0) after Richland (18-4) scored in the 63rd minute on a header by Kati Lucas after a perfectly placed free kick from Lindsay Roberts. That goal was only the eighth allowed this season by the Wolves and it was the first time all season they had trailed.
But the deficit would not last long as Elston was able to sneak in a goal in front of a crowded net in the 73rd minute.
“They’re a quality team,” said Richland coach Chris Smith. “We knew they weren’t going to go away after we scored, and they worked hard for that equalizer.”
This was the first meeting in the state tournament for the schools since 2002, when Eastlake won 1-0 in the semifinals en route to the Sammamish school’s only state title.
“They played well,” Krieble said of Richland. “When it goes down to kicks, it’s anyone’s game.”
But Eastlake’s perfect season lives for another day and a chance at a state title.
“It’s too bad that game wasn’t for first and second,” said Smith. “It felt like it. It felt like a state-championship match.”
Beamer into final
The Titans are making their first trip to state a memorable one.
Beamer’s Jordan Salisbury headed in a Megan Miller corner kick for the game’s only goal as the Titans defeated defending champion Woodinville 1-0 in a semifinal match.
“Some people get lucky to get here. They deserved it, they earned it,” said Beamer coach Carrie Hentschell.
The game, like the five other state matches on Friday, was scoreless at halftime. But Salisbury’s 11th goal of the season in the 47th minute put Beamer up for good.
Beamer (20-1) has never had a team in any sport place at state in the school’s five-year history.
Woodinville (16-5) wraps up its sixth state appearance in the third-place game against Richland at 2 p.m.
Freelancer Josh Mayers
contributed to this report.