Cougar soccer eliminates tested NK

TACOMA — At least the North Kitsap girls soccer team has its priorities straight.

Saturday’s Narrows League tourney girls soccer showdown between the Vikings (9-10-3 overall) and the Central Kitsap Cougars reminded everyone of the “student” that comes first in “student-athletes.”

Playing without six players, four because of ACT testing that morning, one to a school-required band competition and one more due to injury, the North Kitsap Vikes saw their season end 4-0 at the hands of CK at Stadium Bowl.

“They worked hard,” North Kitsap coach Pat Stickney said. “They never really gave up.”

Missing standout Stephanie Skelly hurt most, while both squads were without their starting goalies in the net. CK keeper Ellen Boyd also was taking the ACTs, while backup Jaymie Boekemoogen remained out with injuries. CK put JV call-up Amber Zuehls in goal, while North fielded sophomore Heather Martin in place of junior Christine Parker.

And Webb couldn’t be happier with the job of not only Zuehls, but CK’s defense as a whole.

“She had the deer-in-the-headlights look on the bus,” Webb said. “We just said, ‘Hey, don’t worry. You’ll be fine.’”

The Cougars struck first in the loser-out contest with Brandi Hamre finding the back of the net in the game’s 28th minute. But the Vikings kept fighting, holding the 1-0 score at the half.

The second half however was all CK.

In the 47th minute, Martin tried to boot a ball to the middle of the field, but came down over the top of it. The ball rolled to a wide open Hamre who stuffed the shot into the net.

CK had another opportunity when Jordan King had a free kick from about 25 yards out. King blasted the shot hard, but it caromed off the top crossbar, eventually heading out of bounds for a corner kick. On the ensuing kick, the ball bounced right in front of the goal, but Martin was able to scoop it up.

The delay was short though, as Cougar Hannah Anderson crossed a goal in the 70th minute, while Hamre completed the hat trick on an assist from King in the 75th minute to round out the scoring.

“The defense just tightened up out there,” Webb said. “We made sure we came to the ball, some one-touches. It’s just really a pleasure to coach this group of girls.”

King had some extra motivation for upping her effort in the game.

After missing all of last year’s postseason with a knee injury, King said she wasn’t about to call it a career Saturday.

“This could have been my last high school game,” she said. “So we better make sure we step it up. We just want to put that extra effort in.”

The win set up a loser-out game Monday against South Kitsap at Mount Tahoma High School. Results of that contest were unavailable at press time. The winner advances to the 4A West Central District Tournament as the No. 5 seed out of the Narrows League.

That too is a tough position, as the South Puget Sound League’s No. 1 seed.

“It’s good,” King said. “We’re excited to face South with a new breath, a clean slate. Everyone is pumped for South.”

Now, Webb said she hopes her team can just continue to play at the level they can.

“It’s all about confidence,” she said. “When you get that first one, it all kind of flows together.”

She just wishes CK would get its backs out from against the wall.

“I wish we didn’t have to get to that point to play that way,” Webb said. “They just need to go out and relax and play the game. When they’re on, they’re capable of being awesome.”

Olympic

Once again, Olympic proved the class of Olympic League girls soccer. For the second time in four days, the Trojans dominated the Peninsula Seahawks, this time winning at home Friday 4-0.

Lacy Skelly opened scoring with a 26th-minute goal assisted by Kayleigh Badger, while Rachel Haas ended it with an unassisted score in the 79th minute. In between, both Samantha Axtman and Kelsey Anchors scored for the Trojans (14-2, 9-0), who have now won 26 consecutive league games.

Liz Curry was absent from the game, instead making a previously scheduled visit to the University of New Hampshire.

Now, Olympic, the No. 1 seed into district play, will play the Seamount/South Puget Sound League No. 5 seed for the No. 5 seed to state. The game is at 1 p.m. Saturday at South Sound Stadium in Lacey.

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