SUMNER — Sumner dominated this match.
Except on the scoreboard.
Nearly everything the Spartans sent at the goal was either directly to Arlington’s goalkeeper or hard off the crossbar, while the Eagles’ cashed in on one of their few looks on Danielle Baker’s goal in the 24th minute for a 1-0 victory on Saturday at Sunset Chev Stadium in Sumner to advance to the 3A state quarterfinals and end Sumner’s season.
Arlington will face Southridge in the 3A state semifinals at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup at 2 p.m. on Friday.
“I’ve been on both ends of this,” Sumner coach Robi Turley said. “That’s just the game of soccer. You can dominate matches but still not get the ball into the back of the net, while they get one good opportunity and they make the most of it.”
Arlington coach Nathan Davis was pleased with how his team played after the halftime break.
“We played with a lot of composure in the second half. We were patient and things came our way. Once we got the lead we were smart with the ball,” he said.
Sumner (17-3-0) had two shots in the first 17 minutes careen hard off the crossbar. First Sam Larberg in the fifth minute, then Megan McDonald in the 17th.
Then Arlington struck. Baker got a near perfect lead pass in front of the goal and around a Sumner defender and she sent it into the net for the 1-0 lead.
“It was pretty great,” Baker said of her match-winning goal. “It’s one of the things that we’ve been working on.”
Arlington goalkeeper Kat Sanchez had three crucial second-half saves. She snatched a shot from Hannah Rowen in the 42nd, Jordan Thompson’s hard header off a corner kick in the 68th.
Sanchez fell into a save — literally — in the 55th when the rain-drenched ball slipped out of her grasp while she was on the ground. Larberg quickly struck it, but it was right into Sanchez, who was still lying down in front of the goal.
“Kat is playing hot right now and playing with a lot of confidence,” Davis said.
It was the fourth consecutive shutout Arlington (17-4-0) has posted in the playoffs and the 13th overall this season, as center backs Kerra Williamson and Kali Knepper continue to shine in front of Sanchez.
“We’ve made it this far and we’re not just going to let it go,” Baker said. “We’re going to go farther from here.”
The News Tribune’s TJ Cotterill contributed to this report.
At Sunset Chev Stadium
Goals—Danielle Baker (A). Assists—Olivia Larson (A), Player (School). Goalkeepers—Arlington: Kat Sanchez. Sumner: Player name. Records—Arlington 16-4-0 overall. Sumner 17-2-0.
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