Seagulls score early, often in 7-1 rout of North Kitsap

Published 11:13 pm Tuesday, November 11, 2008

The Everett Seagulls girls soccer team was locked and ready to fire for their opening state playoff game. But no one knew their legs were loaded with what seemed like infinite ammo.

Everett’s Annie Sittauer scored four goals — a career best — to lead Everett to a 7-1 victory over North Kitsap Tuesday at Everett Memorial Stadium. Everett totaled 17 shots on goal and rallied around its veteran leadership to advance to the quarterfinals. The Seagulls play today’s Lakeside-Union winner at 3 p.m. Saturday at Everett Memorial Stadium.

“The last two years we have been in state and it has pretty much been a blowout,” Sittauer said, reitterating just how dominant Everett was last year in their 6-1 victory in the first round. “But we always have trouble in the quarterfinals, so we just want to get past that this year.”

The Seagulls certainly got off to a hot start Tuesday.

Just two minutes, 30 seconds into the game, Sittauer sent a rocket past North Kitsap goalkeeper Christine Parker, giving Everett an early 1-0 lead. Just seven minutes later, Alysia Letourneau’s precise pass found Sittauer 10 yards out from goal as Sittauer deeked left and shot right, blasting one into the net.

It was only the third shot of the game, but for Everett there was much more to come.

Sele Vance scored two minutes later off Kylie Beeson’s assist and, in less than 13 minutes, Everett was out to a 3-0 lead.

“We have really just focused more, and it is just so much more mental than it is physical in our approach,” Sittauer said, emphasizing how much mental toughness needs to be a part of a successful soccer team.

Everett’s team is loaded with veterans, boasting 10 seniors and seven juniors. Head coach Kosta Pitharoulis said that 14 Everett players have scored goals this season, something that he summed up in one word: “team.”

“Its a good win and we are looking onto the next round,” Pitharoulis said. “Its a first seed (Everett) versus a six seed (North Kitsap) and I had a chance to watch them play so I kind of knew what to expect.”

North Kitsap’s lone goal came in the 12th minute by Delanee Nilles.

The score remained 3-1 for nearly 20 minutes until Letourneau hauled in a pass from Vance and Everett took a 4-1 advantage. Then in the 37th minute, Amelia Kent found Sittauer on a precise, short pass and Sittauer put the game out of reach before halftime with her third goal of the contest to give Everett a 5-1 advantage.

Sittauer then scored an unassisted goal early in the second half and, 19 minutes later, Brittany McMullen scored Everett’s seventh goal off a Letourneau assist.

“We have been playing well all year and are coming into this tournament as ready as we will ever be,” Pitharoulis said.

But he will not let his team relax, preaching that improvements can be made in all facets of the game, from better passing to stronger communication.

Although most of the game was played in Kitsap’s end, the Vikings were able to connect on long passes and had numerous opportunities from corner kicks, something that could be a problem for Everett later in the tournament.

Everett goalkeeper Emily Nesting was solid in the goal the entire game, stopping 16 North Kitsap shots.