The Adna girls soccer team ended up on the right end of a wild back-and-forth affair against Goldendale on Tuesday night, as the Pirates scored twice in the final four minutes of the game to beat the Timberwolves 4-3 and snap a three-game skid.
Adna took the lead early thanks to a goal from Haley Roundtree in the sixth minute of the game, and the Pirates went up 2-0 after a Goldendale own goal later in the half.
“The first half was the best we have played together so far,” Adna coach Patrick Richardson said. “We had opportunities to stretch the lead before half but didn’t quite get the finishes we had hoped for.”
In a four-minute stretch early in the second half, the game flipped.
Goldendale scored in the 49th minute, tied it in the 51st minute, and an Adna own goal gave the T-Wolves a 3-2 lead in the 53rd minute.
“We got a little too relaxed and allowed them to exert pressure on us,” Richardson said. “We got sort of helter skelter for about four to five minutes, and that really put us on our heels.”
Now trailing by one, the Pirates began to control the game again, maintaining possession and creating chances, and Roundtree tied the game in the 77th minute.
In the 80th minute, Charlotte Deguise put the Pirates back in front off an assist from Alyson Terry, and the goal went on to stand as the game-winner.
“We found ourselves another gear,” Richardson said. “We found the fire and desire to want to win it, and it was an amazing span to knock two in to get back on top. To see these girls face the adversity of giving up a lead after such a great start and just come back and take it was just a huge bright spot.”
“It’s a moment to learn from and I think they are starting to realize they can do it,” Richardson continued. “They had a different demeanor as they came off the field after a win like that compared to what I’ve seen before. I am proud of them, and I think they are proud of themselves. It takes moments like that to really see what’s there.”
Richardson added that he and the Pirates (2-3) are looking forward to building off the win, starting with a matchup at Bethel on Wednesday.
