EVERETT – A late goal and a cold goalkeeper proved to be the difference for the Cascade girls soccer team.
The Bruins captured a 2-1 Class 4A District 1 quarterfinal shootout victory over Kamiak at Goddard Stadium Monday night.
Cascade advances to the district semifinals, playing at Western Conference North foe Lake Stevens at 7 p.m. today.
The Bruins’ Andrea Cordova scored in the 78th minute by dribbling to the right side of the goal and slotting a shot past Knights goalkeeper K.J. Stupey to tie the score 1-1 and force two scoreless overtimes.
Cascade’s sophomore goalkeeper Shelby Hampton sat and watched 90 minute of soccer before stepping onto the field for the shootout. Hampton had her hands on two of the first four Kamiak shots, but the shots ended up in the back of the net.
“We have two pretty good goalkeepers,” Cascade coach Jamie Gay said. “But Shelby (Hampton) has just been a notch better on penalty kicks and she was ready and excited to do it.”
After the shot of the Bruins’ Talyn Miller bounced off the left post, the pressure fell squarely on Hampton’s shoulders to come up with a block.
Hampton got that block, diving to her right to stop the shot of the Knights’ Morgan Reitan and force sudden death – alternating penalty kicks until one team finishes ahead.
After Cascade’s Ricki Cullum scored, Hampton sent the Bruins into hysterics as she dove again to her right and blocked the final Kamiak shot.
“I am always ready when called on and I am always confident,” Hampton said.
“I think Shelby (Hampton) did amazing,” senior captain Liz Gross said. “She did amazing and she just doesn’t know how much I love her right now.”
Liz and Katy Gross anchored the Bruins’ defense and kept the Knights’ potent offense from getting clear shots on goal. Kamiak outshot Cascade 25 to 6 in the game.
The Knights’ Kelli Stewart, who had 15 goals and 13 assists in the regular season, was held in check by Wesco North first-team defender Liz Gross.
“It was just a tough but great matchup,” Kamiak coach Beth Stewart said.
The Knights’ lone senior, captain Brittany Pineros, muscled the ball past Bruins keeper Brittany Greene off a Kelli Stewart header into the penalty box in the 53rd minute to put the Knights ahead 1-0.
“Brittany is a great kid, all-around person and she was a great leader in bringing the sense of a team to our team,” Stewart said. “I think it is a fantastic thing for us to build on for next year.”
Cascade will face Lake Stevens’ dynamic midfielders Taylor Cochran and Raelynne Lee for a third time, having lost to the Vikings twice in the regular season.
Liz Gross, verbally committed to Northwest Nazarene University, expects to defend one or the other of the Vikings’ playmakers during the game.
“We are really excited about that (playing Lake Stevens again),” Liz Gross said. “I probably will be on one of them.”
“We are excited to have the another chance to play Lake Stevens again,” Gay said.
At Goddard Stadium
Goals-Cascade: Cordova. Kamiak: Pineros. Assists-Kamiak: Stewart. Goalkeepers-Cascade: Greene, Hampton. Kamiak: Stupey. Records-Cascade 7-5-5 overall. Kamiak 10-5-2.
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