Prep girls soccer: Granite Falls stays alive in 2A tourney with 3-2 victory

Published 11:16 pm Wednesday, November 5, 2008

MOUNT VERNON — It’s always nice to see a familiar face.

In the Granite Falls girls soccer team’s third match of the year against South Whidbey, junior captain KatyAnn Powers provided the offense to lift the Tigers to a 3-2 victory in a loser-out Class 2A District 1 tournament match.

With the win, Granite Falls advances to take on Cedarcrest — another familiar Cascade Conference foe — in a winner-to-state game at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Mount Vernon.

The Tigers improved to 2-1 against the Falcons in the 2008 season series.

“They played a really good game,” Granite Falls head coach Pat Pawlak said of South Whidbey. “It’s the third time we’d played each other so we knew each other really well.”

With the Tigers trailing 2-1 midway through the second half, Powers assisted on Cacia Steven’s equalizing goal. Five minutes after that Powers found the net with an assist from Kaitlan Howell to put Granite Falls ahead 3-2 and extend the Tigers’ season.

“KatyAnn really carried the team when they were down,” Pawlak said. “When you have a couple players step it up it makes it easier.”

Howell put the Tigers (11-6 overall) on the scoreboard early with a goal in the second minute of the game. The Falcon’s Jessica Manca responded with a goal to even the score at 1-1 at the intermission. Karissa Thomas scored early in the second half to put South Whidbey (7-9) ahead 2-1.

Tigers coach Pawlak said the Falcons were a tough opponent, especially their “center mids … Karissa Thomas in particular.”

Kelsey Carlson protected the goal for the Tigers.

The Tigers and Red Wolves have a similar history, splitting their two meetings this season. Cedarcrest beat Granite Falls in Duvall, and the Tigers repaid the favor in a shootout in Granite Falls later in the season.

“We get to play them one more time,” Pawlak said. “The loser’s out and the winner gets to keep playing…it’s like that extra tiebreaker.”