SHORELINE — Snohomish freshman Gracie VanAssche picked the perfect time for her first-ever varsity goal.
VanAssche netted the game-winner in the final minute of stoppage time as the seventh-seeded Panthers mounted a stunning comeback with three goals in the final eight minutes to earn a 3-2 win over fourth-seeded Stanwood in a Class 3A District 1 semifinal on a rainy and windy Tuesday night at Shoreline Stadium.
With the victory, Snohomish (11-7-1) secures a spot in the 3A state playoffs and advances to Saturday’s district title game against top-seeded Arlington, which earned a 3-2 shootout win over Shorecrest in the other semifinal. Stanwood will get another chance to punch its ticket to state on Thursday in an elimination match against third-seeded Edmonds-Woodway.
“They never quit believing,” Snohomish head coach April VanAssche said of her team’s comeback, which featured goals from a trio of freshmen. “They kept their heads high and didn’t let it get to them… It definitely was a fun team win and something I don’t think they’ll ever forget.”
Stanwood (12-5-1) controlled most of the match and held a 2-0 lead with less than 10 minutes remaining. There was little to suggest a Snohomish comeback, especially against a Spartans defense that had yielded just 18 goals all season.
But the Panthers refused to cave.
Snohomish freshman Celia Forster began the rally with a 73rd-minute goal, launching an arcing shot just over Stanwood goalkeeper Kaitlin Larson’s outstretched arms to trim the deficit to 2-1. Just two minutes later, senior Anna Montemor sent a cross into the box to freshman Kiana Campbell, who fired it home to even the match at 2 apiece.
Then after Stanwood created a pair of promising scoring chances in the beginning of stoppage time, Snohomish senior Quinn Otteson led VanAssche with a well-placed through ball. VanAssche caught up to the pass at the 18-yard box, where she scooted the ball past the charging goalkeeper and watched as the game-winner slowly trickled into the net.
“I couldn’t even move,” Gracie VanAssche said of her reaction. “I was just really excited.”
“That was an incredible goal,” Montemor added. “It was just so good, so awesome. I’m so proud. This team (has) so much heart and soul.”
Stanwood freshman Bethany VanZant opened the match’s scoring with an 11th-minute goal and senior Bailey Post rocketed a 70th-minute shot into the back of the net to give the Spartans what appeared to be a comfortable 2-0 lead.
Yet the Panthers had other plans.
“We changed our formation and pushed hard up front,” April VanAssche said. “Sometimes you do that and it doesn’t work out, (but) tonight it worked out for us. We got the first goal and I think it just lit a fire, made us a little more hungry. We got the second one, and then the third one was just amazing.”
The dramatic flurry of goals left even Snohomish a bit surprised.
“It’s so hard to believe,” Montemor said. “That was crazy. It just happened so fast.”
Snohomish finished seventh in the Wesco 3A standings and entered the postseason having allowed 17 goals combined in its final four regular-season matches. But the Panthers have stepped up their play in the district tournament, opening with a 2-0 elimination win over Ferndale and a 2-0 upset of second-seeded Marysville-Getchell before punching their ticket to state on Tuesday.
“With so many young players, it took us a while to really get our train going,” April VanAssche said. “I think we finally figured out a few different things and got our system down. And we have the momentum right now, which is cool timing.”
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