Just two years removed from a two-win season, Timberline earned a berth in the 3A state girls soccer tournament after its 1-0 victory over Prairie at Sunset Chev Stadium. It is the Blazers’ first state berth since 1991, when record-setting goal-scorer Jody Dutra was a starting forward for Timberline.
“There were a lot of tears of joy from a lot of players,” Peltier said. “It’s an amazing feeling. It’s just such a credit to this team with so many young kids.”
In 2009, the Blazers suffered through a 2-14 season with both victories coming over North Thurston in league play. Since then, the Blazers have finished third in the 3A Narrows League in 2010 and ’11 and have qualified for the district tournament in both years.
Jordan Meyer’s penalty-kick goal in the 59th minute was the golden goal for Timberline. Peltier credited his team’s defense and freshmen midfielders Casey Whitt and Jade Castanada for shutting down the passing lanes for Prairie, which defeated Timberline, 2-1, at last year’s district tournament game.
Timberline freshman goalkeeper Hailey Holder had 10 saves before leaving the game with six minutes remaining after getting injured on a collision with a Prairie player.
The Blazers have a tough first-round matchup Wednesday. They’ll face defending 3A state champion Seattle Prep.
“We’re right where we want to be,” Peltier said. “It’s a great time for us.”
Tahoma 2, Olympia 1 (SO): The Bears couldn’t capitalize on golden opportunities in regulation or the overtimes before the Tahoma Bears won in a shootout.
“I knew going in it was going to be like playing our team,” Olympia coach Tessa Effland said. “Tahoma is a great team and battled for 80 minutes. It didn’t workout for us, unfortunately.”
Effland credited goalkeeper Olivia Brock with her big stops in goal, stopping five shots.
“She did amazing,” Effland said. “She’s the reason why we got the tie. She played fearless.”
Decatur 3, Capital 2 (OT): The Cougars, champions of the 3A Narrows League, end their season in the 3A district tournament with a loss to Decatur, a team they defeated earlier this season,, 3-0.
CAPITAL EARNS BERTH
Capital, the 3A Narrows League champion, won all three of its matches at the 3A West Central/Southwest bi-district tournament at Auburn Mountainview to earn its third consecutive state volleyball berth.
Capital dropped a four-set match to Camas on Friday, sending the Cougars into the consolation bracket. Capital defeated Columbia River, 3-0, and Hudson’s Bay, 3-1, to earn a state berth and Enumclaw, 3-0, to get the district’s fourth seed.
“I was confident going into (Saturday) that if we played as well as we did Friday and maybe a little better, we’d do fine,” Capital coach Natalie Zukowski said. “We stepped it up today.”
Dani Tabor had a career-high 31 kills in the 25-15, 20-25, 29-27, 25-22 win over Hudson’s Bay to clinch a state berth. On the day, Tabor had 59 kills and 37 digs. Rachel Erickson also was a big factor at the net with a combined 25 kills in three matches and eight serving aces. Kristina Abelson had 113 assists and Marissa Ottesen had 57 digs.
Timberline takes fifth: After earning two victories Friday over Columbia River and Peninsula to qualify for the 3A state tournament for the third straight year, Timberline dropped two matches to host Auburn Mountainview, 25-9, 25-22, 25-21, and Prairie, 25-14, 25-9, 25-20, to earn the fifth seed into next week’s state tournament at Saint Martin’s University.
Despite the losses Saturday, Timberline coach Krista Manke said she likes how her team is playing going into the state tournament.
“We’re peaking at the right time, and now we have to keep it consistent,” Manke said. “They have a lot of potential.”
NW Christian back at state: For the second time in school history, and first since 2009, the Navigators, co-champions of the Pacific 2B League, qualified for the 2B state tournament in Yakima.
The Navigators earned the third seed late Friday night by defeating Morton/White Pass, 25-18, 25-20, 25-23, and then Pe Ell, 23-25, 25-23, 25-20, 27-25, in the third/fourth-place game.
“They were very excited,” Navigators coach Pat Bowker said of her players’ excitement to reach state. “That was the main goal. They wanted to get back to state.”
Five players – Michaela Kier, Kelsey Minton, Kacey Marshall, Madesyn Derrick and Jennessa Offutt – were apart of that 2009 NWC team that made it to state.
Against Pe Ell, Chantell Hartman had a match-high 17 kills and Minton had 14.
