Falcons shut out Eatonville

Published 9:00 pm Friday, November 21, 2003

LAKEWOOD – Win or lose today, the 2003 South Whidbey girls soccer team has established itself as the greatest in school history.

The Falcons, who beat Eatonville 2-0 in a Class 2A state semifinal game Friday at Harry Lang Stadium, hope to cap a perfect season by winning today’s state championship game.

The unbeaten Falcons (21-0) will get their chance at 4 p.m. against Connell (18-2-2) winner over Cashmere in Friday’s other semifinal.

“It’s just an amazing accomplishment,” said Claudia Gil-Osorio, who scored her 32nd goal of the season to ensure South Whidbey’s first trip to a girls soccer state title game.

“We’ve got to be proud no matter what happens – either first or second in state. I’m so proud of this team.”

She was especially proud of the defense behind her.

The Falcons, who took 24 shots to Eatonville’s seven, were the first team this season to shut out the Cruisers (17-4). South Whidbey goalkeeper Allyson Riggs made three tough saves among her seven stops, but her defenders kept the Cruisers’ potent offense from getting many serious chances.

Senior defender Taryn Langlois, saddled with the responsibility of guarding sophomore sensation Jenny Baker (40 goals, 23 assists), allowed Baker only four shots. Lena Ishii kept track of Cruisers forward Megan Hecht and saved a goal in the first half after Riggs went down defending a shot.

“(Ishii) did a phenomenal job a dozen times of just blocking the ball, putting her foot in front of it and making it ricochet,” said sweeper Rita Jones, who directed South Whidbey’s defense to its 12th shutout of the season.

Jones controlled the action on the South Whidbey side of the field, wrecking Eatonville opportunities before they ever developed.

“That’s what Rita’s role is – to be the anchor of the defense,” said South Whidbey coach Paul Arand, whose 2000 team finished third. “When something scoots through, Rita’s there to help out. She did an excellent job.”

While the rest of the team stayed in a hotel the night before the game, Gil-Osorio was busy finishing a rough draft for her Edmonds Community College English 205 class. She attended the first 15 minutes of the 8:30 class on Friday morning, and then hopped into a car with her awaiting family. She arrived in time for pre-game warm-ups before leading the Falcons’ offensive charge.

“I was fiddling around with my pencil so much that my teacher looked over at me a few times,” said Gil-Osorio, a Running Start student who had to stay 15 minutes to get credit for her attendance. “She didn’t know what was up. … If we miss that day, she counts it as double. They don’t excuse high school activities.”

Holding a tenuous 1-0 lead despite dominating possession, the Falcons finally iced the game with Gil-Osorio’s goal in the 54th minute.

She fielded a pass from midfielder Lucy Brennan, dribbled once and dinked a shot to the right of diving Cruisers goalie Rachel Tweet for a 2-0 advantage. Tweet recorded 12 saves.

The Falcons dominated from the start. Sophomore midfielder Katie Watson made the Falcons’ efforts pay off in the 21st minute, driving her 13th score of the season into the upper-left corner of the goal on a free kick from 23 yards out.

Eatonville nearly answered five minutes later. Riggs blocked Hecht’s line-drive shot, but the ball bounced back in prime scoring territory. Hecht took another hack, but Ishii saved a goal and booted the ball out of harm’s way.

When the ball rattled around in front of South Whidbey’s goal in the 38th minute, it was Ishii to the rescue once again. She got just enough of a leg on the ball to send it outside the goal, where it was sent away by a teammate.