EDMONDS – The Everett High School girls soccer team’s 13 years of misery ended Thursday night.
The Seagulls knocked off Shorecrest 1-0 in overtime to win the Class 3A District 1 Championship at Edmonds Stadium.
Everett advances to the state tournament as the No. 1 seed from the district. Shorecrest plays Arlington at 1 p.m. Saturday at Edmonds Stadium for the second and final seed to state. Arlington defeated Mount Vernon 1-0 in a loser-out district semi-final earlier Thursday.
Suzy Olsen scored the game-winning goal off a 30-yard cross from Sele Vance in the last minute of the first overtime to punch the Seagulls’ ticket to the state tournament.
“I am just so elated right now,” Everett’s fifth-year coach Kosta Pitharoulis said. “I am so happy for the kids and they deserve it as they have worked so hard.”
Since a fourth-place finish in the 1993 state tournament, Everett has endured years of miserable and heartbreaking seasons.
“It is so exciting because we have not been in (the tournament for) so long,” Olsen said.
Everett’s senior class endured three losing seasons (1-15, 2-14 and 7-8-1) before breaking through to bring Everett soccer back to its former level.
“Coming from a freshman and barely winning one game to going to state is the most inspiring thing I have ever seen for this team and Everett soccer,” senior goalkeeper and team captain Makenna Brinster said.
“It means the world to the kids and especially to the seniors,” Pitharoulis said. “To finally have some success after all this time. I am just so ecstatic for the team and former Everett players.”
Brinster and Everett’s defense limited the scoring chances of Shorecrest’s dangerous forwards Cora Speidel and Gina Adams.
“They make my job easy,” Brinster said of her defensive line. “They are one of the best defenses I think that Everett has had in a long time.”
Along with wining the district championship, Everett’s senior-led team was crowned Class 3A State Academic Champions with a grade point average of 3.73.
“The older kids have had to endure some tough seasons,” Everett Athletic Director Jo Levin said. “We are very proud of them here at Everett.”
At Edmonds Stadium
Goals-Everett: Olsen. Assists-Everett: Vance. Goalkeepers-Everett: Brinster. Shorecrest: Towles. Records-Everett 11-5-3 overall. Shorecrest 12-6-1.
Arlington 1, Mount Vernon 0: At Edmonds, Shaylee Markley scored the game-winning goal using the back of her heel to give Arlington the 3A District 1 loser-out semifinal victory over Mount Vernon.
The Eagles advance to play Shorecrest at 1 p.m. Saturday at Edmonds Stadium for the second and final 3A State berth from District 1.
Arlington’s Roxanne Pederson beat two Bulldog defenders and dribbled the ball to the goal line before crossing the ball in front of the goal. After a defensive tussle in front of the net, the ball rolled to Markley’s feet. She used quick thinking and kept the Eagles’ hopes alive.
“I told her to get any kind of touch on the ball to put it in the goal and two minutes later she scores with her heel,” Arlington Nathan Davis said.
Arlington goalkeeper Andrea Parlin made a point-blank save diving to her right in the last minute to keep the Bulldogs off the scoreboard and record the shutout.
“She deserves a lot of the credit for the last save. She played outstanding,” Davis said of the junior keeper.
At Edmonds Stadium
Goals-Arlington: Markley. Goalkeepers-Arlington: Parlin. Mount Vernon: Ridenhour, Malone. Records-Arlington 4-10-5 overall. Mount Vernon 12-6-0.
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