Cierra Larson’s goal in the final minutes of a scrimmage against Lane lifted Centralia to a 2-1 victory on Saturday at Bob Peters Field.
The win was the second in as many days for the Trailblazers, who defeated Umpqua 2-0 less than 24 hours earlier.
The Trailblazers controlled the entire game against Umpqua, outshooting the Riverhawks 13-0 and consistently applying pressure in the offensive half.
The first goal came from Alyssa Hook in the 27th minute, as she chipped the ball over a diving goalkeeper to open the scoring.
While CC consistently generated chances, the second goal didn’t come until the 63rd minute, Abigail Hansen settled the ball mere feet in front of the net, and calmly placed it past a sprawling defender and keeper to double the lead.
Umpqua was able to possess the ball more consistently in the final 15 minutes, but the Trailblazer defense was stout and never allowed a scoring opportunity.
Saturday’s game was more challenging for Centralia, as Lane took a 1-0 lead just 15 minutes into the game.
The Titans generated the bulk of the chances in the first half, and they took that lead into the break.
At halftime, Coach Clarence Gunderson said the team switched from a 3-4-3 formation to a 4-3-3 formation, one that he felt would match up better against the Lane attack.
“A disadvantage (of the 3-4-3 formation), is that you leave a lot of open space in the middle,” Gunderson said. “So we were struggling in the first half because they were playing through the middle a lot.
“We came back to our base formation … which gave more numbers in the central part of the field and we were able to play much better in the second half.
The adjustment paid off quickly in the second half, as Giselle Sanchez tied the game at one.
More chances came in the second half for the Trailblazers, but the winning goal remained elusive until the final moments.
After a throw-in from Hook and a header from Racquel Davis, Larson shot the ball out of the air and into the net to give Centralia the lead.
Earlier in the second half, Gunderson had moved the Tumwater grad forward, anticipating that if she was put in the right position, she could ultimately make the difference in the game.
“I knew that if she had the chance to go score, that she was gonna score,” Gunderson said. “It was good to see that she fought hard in that last second to get us the win."
While the wins don’t count towards the team’s official record, Gunderson noted that there is a lot to take away from them.
“This preseason is really for us coaches to see what type of players we have, what type of formation and style we want to play with,” Gunderson said. “This preseason is (about) getting them to understand what a college season is going to look like.”
And while these two victories don’t guarantee success for the rest of the season, Gunderson and the rest of the coaching staff are excited about the potential of this group.
“I know there is a long way to go," he said. "But I think the team is capable of reaching a new height this year.”
The Trailblazers will play one more scrimmage against Evergreen on Tuesday. The regular season begins at the NWAC Friendlies next Tuesday at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, where they will take on Chemeketa.
