Isaman leads Vikings girls soccer over M-P
Published 11:45 pm Tuesday, October 6, 2009
MARYSVILLE — Like a determined hunter with unlimited ammo, Kinslee Isaman kept firing at her target.
Isaman, a senior midfielder on the Lake Stevens High School girls soccer team, scored in the first half on Tuesday in a key Western Conference North Division game at Quil Ceda Stadium. In the second half, Isaman and her Vikings teammates tried to put away the much-improved Marysville-Pilchuck Tomahawks with another goal.
It didn’t come easy.
After Isaman nearly set up a teammate for a score, she barely misfired on two close-range shots. Instead of getting frustrated, Isaman kept attacking and eventually notched the important second goal. It propelled Lake Stevens (6-2-1 Wesco North and overall) to a 2-0 victory over Marysville-Pilchuck (5-3-1).
“We just stuck with it and the team really put in their hard work. We just kept at it,” said Isaman, who leads Lake Stevens with eight goals this season.
M-P, which beat Lake Stevens in overtime on Sept. 8 in the season opener, threatened to tie it several times in the second half. So it was huge when Isaman connected from close range (Hailey Foley assist) for a 2-0 lead with 11 minutes, 15 seconds remaining.
“I was hoping eventually that one was going to get there (for a goal),” said Lake Stevens coach Andy Knutson, whose team took 20 shots in the contest. “But that’s the game. You just hope and pray.”
Knutson’s prayer was answered and Lake Stevens sits in a coveted spot. Coming into the game, Lake Stevens and M-P were the top Class 4A teams in the North. They are fighting for seeding in the 4A district tournament, which begins Nov. 2. The North’s top four 4A teams earn automatic spots; the fifth-place team gets a play-in game.
For now, Lake Stevens is the division’s No. 1 4A squad. Unbeaten Everett (9-0) leads the North but the 3A Seagulls go to a separate district tournament.
Goalkeeper Sierra Hobday made six saves for Lake Stevens, which avenged its previous loss against M-P.
“We didn’t need a whole lot of (extra) motivation today,” coach Knutson said. “Marysville really took it to us last time in the last 20 minutes, so the girls were really pumped up to try to get another shot (at beating the Tomahawks).”
In a wild first half, the teams combined for 17 shots. Only one found the back of the net. Lake Stevens, which tallied 12 shots, scored in the 18th minute. Isaman (Annie Thomas assist) eluded two defenders and kicked a shot inside the right post.
Fortunately for M-P, keeper Lauren Schoonover played well. She kept the Tomahawks in it by making five saves in the half, including one on Isaman’s header shot with about 7 minutes to go.
Already missing two injured starters, M-P lost two defenders to injury during the game. But the Tomahawks, who were just 2-11-3 in 2008, kept it interesting.
M-P threatened on a few first-half attacks. The best chance came on a brilliant lead pass by Danielle Norton to senior captain Kiely Cordon. Releasing the ball near midfield, Norton led Cordon perfectly. Cordon, marked by a defender, avoided going offside, controlled the ball and skimmed a low shot that got by the keeper but narrowly missed wide right.
Early in the second half, Cordon shot high from deep in the goalie box on a breakaway. And 5 minutes before Isaman’s second goal, M-P keeper Schoonover jogged to midfield for an outstanding free kick that clanged off the cross bar.
“We missed a couple of those golden opportunities,” first-year M-P head coach Gary Riozzi said. “We’ve got to do a little better job of (finishing).”
Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.
