By Chris Trujillo
Herald Writer
EDMONDS – The Meadowdale Mavericks went blow for blow and shot for shot with the defending 3A state champions Lakeside Lions, but in the end found themselves just short of a victory.
Lakeside’s Dawn Lippert, after taking a perfect back-door pass from Mary Kuder, scored the game-winning goal in the 75th minute on Friday to defeat Meadowdale 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs at Edmonds Stadium.
“This is as tough as they go,” Meadowdale coach Mike Bartley said. “I really think we outplayed them tonight. They are getting out of here with a good win.”
With the score tied at zero, and after penetrating the crowded Meadowdale territory, Kuder connected with a wide-open Lippert, who fired a shot past Meadowdale goalkeeper Allie Wirtala.
“I didn’t have an angle on the goal, and then I saw Dawn,” said Kuder, who scored a hat trick in the Lions’ 4-0 first-round victory over Fort Vancouver. “We have so many players who can score. Dawn is so composed and has a great shot.”
The Lions, who improved to 19-1, will move on to play the winner of Skyline and Seattle Prep in the semifinals next Friday at 2 p.m. at Federal Way Stadium. Meadowdale, which gave up just one goal in its four playoff games, finished the season 14-4-2.
The game, which could’ve easily gone any which way, was seemingly controlled mostly by Meadowdale.
The Mavericks, whose relentless pressure provided more than a few scoring opportunities in the first half, continued to attack Lakeside in the second half, but were turned away each time.
Reserve forward Jessica Duty came inches from breaking the deadlocked game when a Meadowdale corner kick dropped in front of her a few feet from Lakeside’s goalkeeper Alison Myers. Duty, who ultimately got tied up by Myers, was unable to retain the ball as Myers fell on it, ending one of Meadowdale’s many scoring threats.
The Mavericks, who entered the game having won seven consecutive games stretching back to their last four regular season games and three playoff victories over Bellingham, Burlington-Edison and White River, controlled the pace of the game offensively for most of the first half.
They squandered the half’s best scoring opportunity just two minutes into the game, when senior Amber Vranish broke free for a one-on-one with goalkeeper Myers. Vranish, however, was unable to put much on the shot, which sailed lightly into Myers’ arms.
Meadowdale kept up the pressure late in the half and, more importantly, limited Kuder, Lakesides’ second-leading scorer, to just one viable scoring opportunity. Wirtala stopped three Lakeside shots on goal.
Meadowdale’s Kelsey Nagel received a yellow card with 17:56 remaining in the half after running into Lakesides’ Myers following Meadowdale’s second corner kick. It was the Mavericks’ third legitimate scoring opportunity of the half.
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