After struggling to score last week in two league losses to Montesano and Elma, Tenino needed to fix something.
The Beavers met up as a team over the weekend to discuss what they needed to change, and after making some lineup adjustments, rolled to a 5-0 win over Seton Catholic Tuesday night.
Tenino coach Kevin Schultz said that the coaches made the decision to put Kamryn Oliviera at forward in a more aggressive role, and it paid off against the Cougars.
The junior assisted on the Beavers’ (7-2, 0-2 in league) first goal in the 15th minute, finding Abby Severse for the senior’s ninth goal of the season.
After over 40 more minutes without another score, Oliviera led the charge again, finding Morgan Miner with a good pass, before Miner put a perfect cross into the six yard box and Severse did the rest on a header.
Severse now has 10 goals in nine games.
“Kamryn made her first start for us at forward, and she really was a spark for our team,” Schultz said. “We returned to our style of play tonight.”
Then the goals came at will. In the 76th minute, Miner found the back of the net off an assist from Alivia Hunter, and two minutes later, Hunter scored a goal of her own off a corner from Megan Letts. One minute after that, Letts put one through off an assist from Miner to cap off a good bounce back win for the Beavers.
“It was almost cathartic for us,” Schultz said of the barrage.
The Beavers out-shot the Cougars 8-1 on target, with keeper Trinity Tafoya recording one save near the end of the game in another strong defensive showing. Schultz praised both Oliviera for providing a spark at forward, and Miner for taking on defenders and taking advantage of opportunities.
Tenino will head out on the road and play its next league game against Hoquiam Thursday hoping for its first league victory.
