Soccer: Lightning strikes early, eyes state title

SUMNER — A new team, perhaps, but definitely the same old routine.

All season, the La Salle girls soccer team talked about this being a different team and a new start after graduating so many key players. Yet this young team (it has just one senior) finds itself exactly where the past three Lighting teams have been — playing for a state championship.

Getting back there wasn’t as easy as it first appeared Friday.

The Lightning offense struck in the first minute and dominated play early, but what looked like a rout in the making, turned into a tense nail-biter. La Salle’s defense, anchored by goalie Chelsea Adkins, proved up to the test, and the Lightning hung on for a 1-0 victory over Seattle Lutheran in the second Class B semifinal at Sunset Chev Stadium.

“I’m so proud of this team. Our defense was amazing,” said Adkins, who made four big saves in the second half to preserve the lead. “Our defense is why I do so well.”

That’s also why La Salle will be playing for the state championship this afternoon, facing Evergreen Lutheran, a 4-0 winner over Ocosta in the first semifinal.

“Words can’t express how I feel,” Adkins said. “This is what we’ve wanted since the beginning of the year. We feel this is our time.”

La Salle, which has now won 19 straight since a season-opening loss to West Valley, is seeking its first title, and all the players know that today’s final will be just as competitive as Friday’s semifinal.

“That was a hard game,” said defender Katie Vickers, who admitted the team was a little nervous since Seattle Lutheran had posted a 6-0 quarterfinal rout of Liberty Bell, a team the Lightning beat just 2-1 during districts. “All the players stepped up.”

La Salle didn’t seem tight early on, striking in the first minute when the ball deflected off a Saints defender and right to Savannah Bonny, who kicked it past goalie Kelsey Shaw.

The Lightning then had several more chances to add to their total, but couldn’t capitalize.

That didn’t hurt because the Lightning defense — Vickers, McKenzie Andringa, Katie Knoebel and Lauren DeGooyer — held its ground against a quick Saints front, led by speedy freshman Ashley Shaw.

“We wanted to get another goal to get some breathing room, but one was enough today because of the defense,” Adkins said. “They were amazing.”

“We stayed pretty organized,” La Salle coach Anne Newell said of the defense. “We had a few moments of letdown, but we did our best to play smart.”

The few times Seattle Lutheran did break an otherwise air-tight defense, Adkins was there to make a big save. Her first came late in the first half, when she raced out to make a sliding save while colliding with a hustling Shaw.

Then she made two clutch saves in a three-minute span midway through the second half, the first off a free kick by Shaw, and the second on another sliding save and collision with Shaw. Adkins was shaken up but remained in the game.

Seattle Lutheran’s last good chance came with about five minutes left, when a centering pass got past Adkins and rolled right in front of the goal, but La Salle was able to clear the ball before the Saints could reach it.

“Chelsea was amazing today. She got hurt and played through it,” Vickers said. “She was a big part of the win.”

As was the entire defense.

“Our entire defense played well, but Katie Knoebel did an outstanding job picking up their players coming down the sidelines,” Newell said, alluding the Saints’ preference for breaking down the side and then centering the ball.

“The whole team played defense,” Vickers continued. “It wasn’t just the defenders. The midfielders also stepped up. Everyone did their job.

“We didn’t play panicked, and now we’ve got a chance to play for a title.”

Filed under All, Preps, Soccer (Girls)