MARYSVILLE — Marysville Getchell had few scoring opportunities, but was able to cash in its best chance of the night.
Marysville Pilchuck seemed to have many more chances, or at least the possibility of chances, but was unable to deliver on most.
The result was a 1-1 tie Monday night in a Western Conference 3A girls soccer showdown between the two district-rival teams. The game was played on a cool and occasionally drippy evening at Marysville Pilchuck High School.
The Chargers scored first near the midpoint of the second half, the Tomahawks answered with about nine minutes to play in regulation, and neither team could find the net in overtime.
It was, said Marysville Getchell head coach Wayne Nash, “a battle. It was a great, evenly matched game. A well-fought, intense game. And there were huge swings of momentum each way. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.”
“It was a good game,” agreed Tomahawks head coach Paul Bartley. “It’s what you want soccer to be.”
The Chargers got the game’s opening goal on their first and best scoring chance of the game. Forward Taylor Cannal, playing on the front line because of injuries to teammates, got the ball in front of the goal and sent a shot that hit the crossbar, bounced straight down and then straight up again, except this time it just snuck just inside the top of the net.
The Tomahawks, meanwhile, had been frustrated through most of the game whenever they got near the goal. But they finally got the tying goal when forward Brittany Anderson, in a crowd in front, gathered a loose ball and popped it into the right side of the net.
In overtime, Marysville Pilchuck had two great chances with the ball at point-blank range, but was unable to get enough on the ball to direct the shots at the goal.
“That’s the kind of stuff that ages me,” Nash said with a relieved smile. “I probably have a few hairs that turned white there.”
The Tomahawks had an apparent goal just before halftime, as forward Allison Taylor won a long race to a ball in the right corner and sent it in front, where teammate Olivia Lee gained control and put the ball in the net. But the goal was negated for an apparent hand ball just before Lee’s shot.
“I thought that we had a little bit better of the play, but we didn’t put the ball in,” Bartley said. “That’s the most frustrating thing about soccer. You can dominate at times and still not win.”
Still, the Tomahawks have “a solid squad,” he said. “Now we just have to capitalize on our opportunities. Right now, that’s the thing we have to work on the most. …. We’re not going to win any pretty games. We’re going to have to scrap it out.”
Nash is likewise encouraged, particularly because his team is battling through a tough stretch of injuries. Two of his starting forwards missed the game, one with a shoulder injury, the other with a knee injury.
“I think we have a solid team,” he said. “We’ve sustained a lot of injuries so far and people have had to step up and play a lot of positions they’re not even used to. … When we get healthy we’re going to be dangerous.”
At Quil Ceda Stadium
Goals—Marysville Getchell—Taylor Cannal; Marysville Pilchuck—Brittany Anderson.
Goalies: Marysville Getchell—Rylee Shear; Marysville Pilchuck—Emily Dunston.
Records: Marysville Getchell is 0-0-3 in conference, 2-2-3 overall; Marysville Pilchuck is 1-2-2, 1-5-2.
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