Shorecrest victorious in penalty-kick thriller, reaches 3A state title game

Published 1:30 am Friday, November 17, 2023

PUYALLUP — A group of smiling and cheering Shorecrest Scots players swarmed junior defender Anica Boguszewki seconds after she scored the game-winning goal in penalty kicks against the Lakeside (Seattle) Lions in the Class 3A state semifinals.

Under the Friday night lights and with the temperature at Sparks Stadium near freezing, the ninth-seeded Scots came from behind to win 2-1 (5-4 penalty kicks) and put themselves through to the state finals.

“I hate winning and losing games by PKs. I think it’s such an unfair way for anybody to win or lose because all the work you’ve done comes down to those final moments. But Tatiana [Zahajko] is a queen when it comes to PKs,” said Shorecrest head coach Mindy Dalziel of her goalie’s performance. “I felt super confident with her in goal. She needed to make one save and then we can do the rest. And she did her job and then some, so that’s pretty impressive. Lots of emotions. I have not been back to this championship game in a really long time.”

The fourth-seeded Lions dominated possession the first half. In the 27th minute, senior midfielder and co-captain Eleanor Morrissey made her mark after striking a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner of the goal, assisted by senior forward Mia Broom. The Scots made an error in the midfield that the Lions capitalized on.

Lakeside led 1-0 at halftime.

In the second half’s first minute, the Scots tied the game when junior Bailey Matthew found herself in the right place at the right time, putting the ball in the back of the net after a mistake from the Lions’ defenders.

From there, the game was balanced with both teams having good chances to score. Shorecrest’s Zahajko tallied several crucial saves. In the 42nd minute, the Lions had a chance to score off a corner kick that a Lions player volleyed and Zahajko saved. Soon after, she stopped Morrissey’s left-footed kick from outside the box and, near the 68th minute, Zahajko saved Broom’s long-range shot.

Lions senior forward Lexie Roth played a tight through ball to Broom in the 58th minute, but it was called back for offside.

“We value the ball, and we do what we can to stage attacks,” said Lakeside head coach Derrek Falor. “It was hard to break Shorecrest down. They had a lot of kids behind the ball. In the end, we just weren’t clean enough in the final third, and it felt like that all game. … It’s tournament soccer and take nothing away from the team that advances.”

When the whistle blew for full time, both teams toughed it out for another 10 minutes in overtime. In the 88th minute, the Lions almost captured a late win when the ball nearly crossed the Scots’ goal line but was cleared away just in time. With both teams still tied 1-1, the game would be decided in the penalty shootout.

In a tense round of PKs, Preslie Lampitt, Willems, Roth and Morrissey netted goals on four of Lakeside’s first five kicks. Tayvi Khann, Kiernan Ledoux, Darci Dalziel and Zahajko kept things even for Shorecrest.

Zahajko’s stop on the Lions’ sixth attempt set the Scots up to seal the game, and Boguszewki sent her team to Saturday’s title game.

“I knew going in Lakeside was going to be dynamic up front, and they were going to cause a lot of chaos, and we just dug in. It wasn’t the best soccer from our standpoint,” Mindy Dalziel said. “Bailey’s goal to start the second half was absolutely perfect. … We got them on their heels and from that moment on we (we’re in the game). We learned how to battle, and for us to take down another top-14 [opponent] is pretty impressive.”

Shorecrest faces No. 14 Roosevelt in the championship game 5 p.m. Saturday at Spark Stadium. Roosevelt defeated No. 7 Lincoln (Seattle) 4-0 in their semifinals game earlier Friday night.

“They looked really good today,” said Dalziel of Roosevelt’s performance. “I think it’s going to be a physical game. I think it’s going to be pretty back and forth. They came out firing, and we’ll see what we got. Thirty years ago I hosted the trophy for Shorecrest, so maybe we’ll get to host another one.”