The Snohomish girls soccer team beats Lake Stevens in a shootout

Published 10:22 am Friday, September 24, 2010

SNOHOMISH — Five matches into the Western Conference North Division girls soccer season and the Snohomish Panthers already are earning some potentially valuable experience in high-pressure situations.

Snohomish defeated Lake Stevens 2-1 in a shootout on Tuesday night at Snohomish Veterans Memorial Stadium, the second shootout win this season for the Panthers.

It also was the third time Snohomish has gone to extra time — the squad beat Arlington 1-0 in OT earlier in the season.

Reserve goalkeeper Ashley Holten, a junior who came on at halftime to replace starter Melissa Dreves, stepped up with one save in the shootout as the Panthers (5-0 league, 6-0 overall) stayed undefeated. Dreves left the match after taking a knee to the jaw in the 38th minute,

“PKs are a lot of pressure and it makes players try to gain composure, and it’s great practice for them all over the field,” Snohomish head coach April VanAssche said. “The last 5 minutes of regulation it’s good to have that pressure already in practice.”

Holten allowed a 58th minute equalizer to Lake Stevens sophomore Ciara Carter on a shot from the edge of the box that beat the keeper to the far post. However, her save on Hailey Foley’s spot kick in the shootout helped the Panthers edge the Vikings (3-2, 4-2). Foley had assisted on Carter’s goal for Lake Stevens.

In the shootout, the Vikings missed high on their third kick and wide on the decisive fifth shot.

“PKs are one of those things that a keeper doesn’t want to do,” said Holten, who played a half of the junior varsity game prior to coming on for the second half of Tuesday’s win. “I just did what I do.”

Aly Morgan gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead in the 42nd minute when she collected a loose ball and was able to power a shot by a defender and into the net off the far post. Courtney Brown was dispossessed in the box, but Morgan came to the rescue as she collected the loose ball and got off a quick shot that glanced off a defender and trickled by a helpless Kiaya Paulsen in goal.

Both teams missed several scoring opportunities. Lake Stevens had a shot saved off the line by a defender in the 36th minute and Carter missed a possible second goal when she couldn’t control a cross into the middle of the box in overtime. Snohomish’s Darrian Trisko hit the crossbar just minutes after the opening goal.

Missed chances or not, Snohomish kept its record clean.

“I’m not happy with how we played because we didn’t play up to our potential,” VanAssche said. “We have a lot more composure than we showed and that was frustrating. I commend (the team) for staying in it because a lot of players didn’t have their best game tonight.

“My team seems to have a habit of doing what they need to do to get the job done and for that I’m thankful.”

“That’s why they’re undefeated, because they get it done,” Lake Stevens head coach Andy Knutson added.

It wasn’t the first time the Vikings went to spot kicks this season either. Lake Stevens dropped a game in PKs to Marysville-Pilchuck last week.

“It’s a good experience,” Knutson said of the shootout. “We welcome it. We want to get as many chances as we can to get in some pressure situations. We’ll trade this one (loss) for a later (win), hopefully.”

Despite the win, Holten echoed her head coach by saying the Panthers need to finish off games in regulation.

“I think we should stay out of that position (going to a shootout),” Holten said.