Two goals in the first half and two more in the second were enough to give the Toledo girls soccer team a 4-1 win at Ted Hippi Field over Winlock on Wednesday in the first Battle of the Cowlitz matchup of the season.
The Riverhawks’ four goals came from four different players, with Ryah Stanley starting the scoring off in the 19th minute. In the 32nd, Peyton Holter took a feed from Kailea Lairson and doubled the hosts’ advantage, making it 2-0 going into halftime.
Come the second half, it was Lairson’s turn to get on the scoresheet, when the Cardinals brought an attacking player down in the box, and first-year head coach Courtney Moore had her eighth-grader step up to take the ensuing penalty kick.
“I called Kai up to take it knowing how well her shots went at practice,” she said. “I could tell she was a bit nervous or had reservations… but once that ball hit the net I knew and could tell she was so proud of herself.”
Zaya Norberg added Toledo’s fourth goal in the 63rd minute.
Victoria Sanchos scored Winlocks’ lone goal of the evening, and had a chance at another with a penalty kick of her own, but Toledo keeper Daphnie Bybee was up to the challenge, stopping the shot from 12 yards for one of her three saves of the night.
Toledo (1-5-1) will get on the road south Monday to take on Kalama, while Winlock (2-3-1) will host Onalaska.
