The W.F. West girls soccer team posted another shutout on Thursday, defeating Shelton 3-0 for its second road win this week.
Ashlen Gruginski opened the scoring in the 15th minute off an assist from Izzy Teeter, and it came from an adjustment that the Bearcats made in Wednesday’s practice.
W.F. West coach Kevin Schultz said that it was cool to see that his team could not only make those tweaks on the fly, but also to see them convert in-game on short notice.
Teeter got a goal of her own to double the lead in the 33rd minute, volleying a rebound past Shelton’s keeper.
“She’s just a player that has the nose for the goal,” Schultz said. “She has a knack for finding the ball in good positions and finishing.”
In the 79th minute, Lucy Hornby added her first varsity goal, placing a free kick into the upper right corner from about 25 yards out.
It’s the Bearcats’ third straight shutout and fourth in their last five games, a welcome sign for a team that has had to adjust to having three new starters on the back line from last season.
“They’re playing solid,” Schultz said. “A little bit of growing pains early on, but they’re doing really well.”
Schultz made sure to commend Ellie Mittge, who he said also puts in a lot of work as the defensive mid.
“She does such a good job of eliminating attacks before they get to the back line,” Schultz said. “She was a rock tonight.”
W.F. West (8-1-1, 4-1 2A EvCo) will return home to face Black Hills and Tumwater next week, and after a trip to Aberdeen, the Bearcats will host Centralia and Shelton in their final two regular season games.
“We continue to feel like we’re growing,” Schultz said. “We’re still a young team, so we’re still getting used to each other each game. It’s just fun to see how our team is coming together and how all the pieces are looking together.”
