TUMWATER — It wasn’t far-fetched for Ty Johnson to see the regular season play out like it did.
To see his Black Hills High School girls soccer team being in the thick of a Class 2A District 4 tournament bid. Plus, the final match of the Evergreen Conference slate at home and the added incentive of win-and-in.
“I would have expected it,” Johnson said. “These girls were good enough to make districts this year. Most of the games we played this year, we were just as good if not the better team, we just didn’t get the result.”
The Wolves’ last gasp was too little, too late.
A hat trick from Aberdeen’s Scotlyn Lecompte was enough to fend off a stoppage time spree of chances from Black Hills and hold on for a 3-2 triumph at Black Hills High School to lock up the EvCo’s No. 4 seed for districts that begin on Thursday.
Tumwater and W.F. West are the top-two seeds from the league that will open the tourney on Saturday at home; Centralia will host a pigtail game on Thursday night against Mark Morris, with the winner facing Ridgefield.
Black Hills (5-9-1, 3-7 EvCo) will miss the postseason festivities. It was up by one point on the Bobcats in the standings entering Tuesday.
“I thought Aberdeen had a really good game plan and they seemed much improved from the first time we played them,” Johnson said. “At the end of the day, only one team ends the season happy.
Still, it nearly mounted a rally with four minutes of stoppage time put on the central ref’s clock. On a corner kick halfway through the time, Kailyn Hill-Seran got a body part on the ball at the near post to make it a one-goal contest.
Multiple shots in a last ditch effort were blocked by Aberdeen and the last clearance ended the match, sending the Wolves into tears and dejected faces.
“We had two (chances) that barely missed,” Johnson said.
Lecompte scored in the 25th, 45th and 61st minute. The middle goal was a bender from the right side of the pitch that nestled into the bottom left corner. The last goal was a penalty kick.
The Wolves were dealt an early blow when junior attacker Hailey Tinsley was knocked out of the game due to injury within the first 10 minutes of the match. By halftime, they adjusted their formation to a 3-5-2.
Ella Jarmin netted the equalizer in the 27th minute for Black Hills. Its passing was on in spurts for the first 40 minutes, then trailed off in the last 40.
“Losing one of your better attackers, in a 2A league where you’re not 18-deep, it is taxing with limited subs,” Johnson said of Tinsley’s injury. “Put their back line under more duress, they played a very deep sweeper.”
Only Ella Springer is graduating and everyone else is expected back. Johnson also touted the incoming freshman class, stating there’s a handful of girls that could contribute to the 2025 group.
And Johnson isn’t shying away from aiming for a top-three spot in the EvCo.
“Looking at the potential, I think we'll challenge for a title, for sure,” he said.
