ARLINGTON — It took nearly 78 minutes for a goal to be scored in Thursday’s Wesco 3A soccer game between Edmonds-Woodway and Arlington, but for the Warriors the wait was well worth it.
Senior midfielder Savannah Norton’s goal off a throw-in by freshman midfielder Chiara Serafini gave Edmonds-Woodway the win in what was the first Wesco 3A game of the year for both teams.
“It was a good throw-in — Chiara’s got a good throw,” Edmonds-Woodway head coach Bill LeCompte said. “(We) were trying to get bodies in the box and see what happens. (The ball) squirted through and Savannah was in the right place at the right time. It was a tough-for-any-goalkeeper type of thing. It was a good spot to be at the right time.”
The Eagles were the aggressor in the first half, controlling most of the possession. The Warriors made adjustments at halftime and controlled possession in the second half.
But for most of the game, neither team was able to find the back of the net.
“I thought both teams were struggling to actually score,” Arlington head coach Nathan Davis said. “We were really struggling to be dangerous. They’re so strong in back and they’re fast in back with a lot experience. Those girls did a good job. For us, we’re just working on being a little more creative.”
The late goal was a good sign for the Warriors, who are a work in progress on offense.
“I don’t think we’ve hit our stride on finishing by any stretch yet, but I just think (goals) are going to be harder to come by,” LeCompte said. “I think the league is a bit more together as far as matchups go. I don’t think you’re going to see any huge scores most nights. I think we were fortunate to find the net when we did.”
Scoring chances were hard for both teams to come by. Until the Warriors goal, their best scoring chances were on a few loose balls in front of the goal, but Arlington’s senior goalkeeper Kat Sanchez scooped them all up before Edmonds-Woodway could capitalize.
“Kat’s awesome,” Davis said. “This is her third full season and she was first-team all-league last year. She’s super-quick, a great leader and super-positive. She’s kind of the glue in terms of the (defense) that keeps us together.”
Arlington junior forward Olivia Larson was in her second game back from a broken foot she suffered playing basketball in June. She played sparingly in Arlington’s 1-0 win over Bothell on Tuesday, but played closer to a full game on Thursday. Davis expects Larson to play a big role for the Eagles this year, but after such a long layoff her stamina is not yet where it needs to be.
“She got tired,” Davis said. “She’s reading the game a little bit slower because she’s been out for three months. She’s such a dynamic player usually and today she was a little bit slower with her reads. That’s to be expected.”
So early into the season, it’s hard to know just what to take from a win like the one the Warriors got on Thursday, but LeCompte could think of one thing.
“Thankfully I take three points,” he said. “If anything, it’s a great starting point. It’s great to have three points in the bank. Now we can kind of unload and reload for what’s coming. Next week it really gets tough for us with league play really getting into full swing.”
At Arlington H.S.
Goals—Savannah Norton (E-W). Assists—Chiara Serafini (E-W). Goalkeepers—Edmonds-Woodway: Hannah Hicks. Arlington: Kat Sanchez. Records—Edmonds-Woodway 1-0-0 league, 3-1-0 overall. Arlington 0-1-0, 3-2-0.
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