Unbeaten in league play for their careers, Tumwater girls soccer players seek first state bid

Not a single player on Tumwater High School’s current girls soccer team knows what it’s like to lose a 2A Evergreen Conference game. They never have.

On the other hand, because of the coronavirus pandemic and a couple of untimely District 4 playoff losses, the Thunderbirds haven’t been to the state tournament since 2016, either.

The abbreviated spring season was a mix of both outcomes, with Tumwater outscoring its regular season foes, 39-1, before losing the district final to Hockinson with no state berth on the line.

When the current season began, the T-Birds were blessed with a huge turnout of 59 players but set back when reigning 2A EvCo MVP Kaari Little moved with her family to Bellingham, where she now plays for Sehome.

So far, the beat goes on.

Tumwater was 10-1 through a Tuesday night win over rival Black Hills, their only loss came against Washington’s top-ranked 4A school, Camas. The T-Birds had outscored opponents, 45-6. Only Black Hills, in a 4-1 Tumwater win last month, has scored on them in league play.

“If things fall right, if we stay healthy and clean up the parts of our game we need to clean up, we have the potential to be one of those final weekend teams,” said coach Brett Bartlett, the Olympian’s All-Area coach of the year last season.

The T-Birds attack is balanced, with 12 players scoring at least one goal. Freshmen Emalyn Shaffer and Ava Jones share the lead with eight apiece.

But, Tumwater’s strength starts in the back, with senior center back Ainsley Wall and her junior counterpart Mia Cuoio.

“They’re excellent communicators. They understand what we’ve been teaching in terms of how to set up a defense but they’re also free thinkers in the game themselves,” said Bartlett. “Soccer isn’t like other sports where you can call time out, pull kids in and make adjustments. We have to make adjustments on the fly. The kids have to be a part of that.

“For Ainsley and Mia to take a leadership role and be able to analyze the game and share their knowledge with their teammates is super critical.”

Both enjoy the physicality of being defenders, though Wall, a first-team Olympian All-Area selection last season, scored three goals in the spring and has three in the fall.

From a family of three brothers, including former T-Bird football player Cooper Wall, who signed with Division I Dixie State University as a defensive lineman, Wall jumped out to her coaches over the years as someone to use on defense.

“It’s where my coaches always put me,” she said. “They’d say ‘Ainsley, go to the back’ and I’d say ‘alright, sounds good.’ I just went with it. It works for me.”

Cuoio likes the responsibility of limiting opponents’ scoring chances.

“You can make those crazy saves and slide tackles that keep the team in the game. I like being physical and you do a lot of that,” she said.

When a team reaches “dynasty” status, when it cranks out victories year after year, it’s tempting to view the progression as seamless, with each season similar to the one before. But both coach and players see some unique aspects in the current Tumwater squad.

“Usually, you have a few girls who don’t want to be here,” said Wall. “Everyone on this team does want to be here and work hard.”

Bartlett points to overall leadership from a nine-player senior class that includes Wall, as well as stellar midfielder Makayla McGilvrey.

“They’re the type of kids who make everyone else better. They’re great communicators, they talk with one another and they’re good examples for one another,” he said. “They’re also good about getting hold of kids who are struggling a little bit, putting an arm around them and saying ‘hey this is how we do things.’ They get everyone on the same page.”

That includes underclassmen, including those freshman scoring threats Shaffer and Jones, who provide not just depth and hope for the future, but current contributions.

“We have some really good underclassmen, which doesn’t always happen,” said Cuoio. We have three freshmen (including midfielder Lucy Bergford) who are skilled, knowledgeable and hard-working players. They know the game.”

Strength in all classes is a hallmark of a quality post-season team. Wall and Cuoio share their coach’s belief that a state tournament run, denied last season’s dominant T-Bird side by pandemic restrictions, can be reality.

“I’m so excited. I’ve been waiting a long time to play in the state tournament,” said Wall.

“I’m ecstatic,” Cuoio added. “We can bring our team together and enjoy each other’s company and win as a team. It’s a good community and team.”