COWICHE — When the final whistle blew, there wasn’t an overarching amount of sadness. Rather, more poker faces and non-emotional reactions were displayed by the Onalaska High School girls soccer team.
That was the expression from the outside. On the inside, it was a combination of disappointment and pride.
“We really wanted redemption,” junior forward Kaiyah Sandridge said. “I’m really happy with the intensity.”
For the fifth time in the last seven years, the Loggers Class 1B/2B state tournament was one-and-done.
Ignited by a hat trick from Anahi Lamas and two goals off corner kicks, eighth-seeded Highland secured a 4-2 triumph over the ninth-seeded Loggers on Tuesday night at Highland High School.
It sends the Scots into the quarterfinals where they will face either top-seed and unbeaten Freeman or No. 16 Evergreen Lutheran.
Despite the record of 10-10-1, Highland was battle tested out of the Eastern WA Athletic Conference. Prior to Tuesday, it played seven state qualifying teams in the bracket and went 1-6.
And two years ago, these two programs played in the opening round when the bracket was 12 teams. The Scotties won 1-0.
This meeting was a flurry.
Highland struck for two first half goals in the ninth and 20th minute both scored by Lamas. The sophomore got a toe off a corner for her first goal, then was on the end of a lucky bounce in front of Onalaska goalkeeper Emily Hicks and Lamas shot it just under the crossbar.
“They anticipate the ball pretty well,” Loggers head coach Christopher Van Clifford said. “They made it work pretty well.”
Lamas capped off her stellar showing with a rocket of a shot from the 30-yard line and it nestled into the bottom left corner.
Onalaska (12-6-1) didn’t go away quietly.
Sandridge was fouled a foot away from the 18-yard box and Randi Haight took a free kick that clanked off the top crossbar. Sandridge and Jaelyn Auman went for the rebound and the former got her head on it for a goal in the 56th minute.
Any momentum was snatched by Highland in the 62nd minute on another corner kick that deflected off a Logger defender and to the chest of Julissa Gonzalez to regain the three-goal cushion.
“That first goal was a spark of hope, then that second goal, you can’t feel any satisfaction,” Sandridge said. “You already know it is done.”
Sandridge did add another goal in the final 90 seconds of the match. She was heavily marked by two Scots defenders that matched her speed and quickness.
Even when Sandridge did get the ball in space, Onalaska struggled to get numbers forward.
“It was tough to get her free just because she didn;t have anymore to go,” Van Clifford said. “One of the things we’ve struggled with all year against teams that are a little quicker is connecting our passes, instead of going straight up the field.
Only center back Sylvie Little and midfielder Yuliana Escalera are seniors for the Loggers. Plenty of firepower is expected to return next fall, including C2BL Offensive Player of the Year in Sandridge and Auman, the co-DPOY.
Van Clifford also mentioned there is plenty of talent coming up in the pipeline.
“Every year you go to state, it is an accomplishment,” he said. “The program keeps rolling. As long as you keep momentum, you’re in good shape.”
