TUMWATER — When the final whistle sounded deep into stoppage time on Saturday night, John Hayes took a deep breath.
No matter the month, the simple phrase of survive and advance rang true for the Tumwater High School boys soccer team.
“It was a very deep breath,” Hayes said.
The second-seeded Thunderbirds out of the Evergreen Conference held on for dear life in the waning moments of the Class 2A District 4 quarterfinal, coming away with a 4-3 nail-biter over third-seeded Greater St. Helens league Hockinson at a rainy Tumwater District Stadium.
For the second straight tournament, they dispatched of the Hawks and moved into the semifinals where GSHL champion Columbia River awaits. It will be the third consecutive year the two sides will meet in the postseason.
“I was worried,” forward Gavin Cuoio said. “Is this going to be one of those games where we just mess up in the last minute? Getting that close, as much as I am happy, it is unacceptable.”
Tumwater (9-7-1) is attempting to return to the 2A state tournament after graduation hit it hard. Just three starters are back and now it is one win away from slotting its spot in the final 16.
It nearly gave a victory away.
After Cuoio secured his first career hat trick in high school that was capped with a backflip celebration in the 72nd minute, Hockinson (11-7) started to chip away.
A scrum in front of the net led to a goal off the foot of Sebastian Deisenhofer and the deficit was two goals. In stoppage time, the Hawks scored once again off the foot of Carter Cameron to make it a one-goal game.
“One of those things you got to keep pushing the gas pedal down,” attacker Dylan Stevens said. “We let up two really crap goals and it happens. We just kept pushing.”
Hockinson had a couple more chances for an improbable equalizer, but couldn’t convert. The Thunderbirds had a subdued celebration, but the message was clear in the huddle.
They get to play another game in the winners bracket.
“I’m excited for the next game, win that one and go off to state,” Cuoio said. “At the beginning of the season, it was rough. Then we put the pieces together, got the formation and we’re doing better.”
Cuoio played the starring role for the Thunderbirds, scoring in a variety of ways.
His first goal was off a back heel pass from Stevens in the 10th minute to kick off the scoring, a pass he admitted caught him off guard. Then he buried one on a short corner kick in the 64th minute to break the 1-1 tie.
His final one came on a ground cross from Stevens.
“Gavin saw a couple of opportunities where he could take advantage of it,” Hayes said. “We worked on that corner quite a bit and I wasn’t sure if it was going to work. Hats off to Aidan (Aaseby) for pulling that off.”
“I did a backflip on them (last year), so I had to run it back,” Cuoio said of his final celebration.
Stevens broke through from getting double, sometimes triple, marked from the Hockinson back line. Cuoio gave him a ball that he bounced off his own head and broke free in the 69th minute for the ever important two-goal cushion.
Tumwater didn’t have the advantage on shots on goal – 14-9 in favor of the Hawks – but it made the most of them.
“Usually (the) first five minutes I take the time to see which is the weak defender, which is the strong defender,” Stevens said. “Their weak point was on their left side, so I just kept pushing that side.”
The back line was formidable for the majority of the two halves. It was in the final two-to-three minutes and thensome where the Thunderbirds struggled.
Deisenhofer netted a header in the 39th minute to head into the locker room all square at one.
“We’re young,” Hayes stated. “Every experience is a new experience and it is the mental side of soccer. Tonight it didn’t bite us and I’m proud of them.”
Columbia River and Tumwater have met the last couple times in the district final where both teams qualified for state. The prize possession was a district title.
The Rapids have been victorious in both meetings.
“They’re a great team,” Cuoio said. “Who really wants to get down and dirty and put it away.”
