Rochester pulls away in second half to top Hoquiam

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The Rochester girls soccer team is on the board in the league standings, as the Warriors got their first league win with a 5-0 victory over Hoquiam at home on Thursday.

“Obviously, we finally got the monkey off our back,” Rochester coach Matt Ashton said. “And we showed what we are capable of doing.”

It was scoreless for nearly the entire first half, as the Warriors weren’t able to connect on their chances early, but Liz Hoover scored off of a corner kick in the 38th minute to get them on the board.

At halftime, Ashton said that they had to use the five minutes of the second half to show the first goal wasn’t a fluke.

It took a couple of extra minutes, but Kenna Pratt scored in both the 48th and 49th minute to make it 3-0.

Hoover scored her second in the 61st minute, and in the 78th minute, Annabell Nakano sent a free kick into the upper-right corner to cap the night.

Ashton was proud of the entire team, and he was also happy to get some JV players varsity experience late.

“They got some good experience that they haven’t been able to get in the previous games,” Ashton said. “They showed that the work they have been putting in at practice is paying off.”

Halfway through the league season, Rochester (2-9-1, 1-3 2A EvCo) is in fourth in the 1A Evergreen standings, one game back of third-place Tenino and one ahead of Hoquiam, which is winless and in last.

Rochester will start the back half of its league schedule at home on Tuesday against Elma.