MOUNT VERNON – Riley Henderson’s second goal of the season was the biggest yet this fall for the surging Stanwood Spartans.
Henderson, a versatile freshman who has played five different positions, scored as a forward from a tough angle in the second half to lift the Stanwood High School girls soccer team to a 1-0 victory over the Gig Harbor Tides Tuesday night in a Class 4A first-round state tournament game at Mount Vernon High School.
Goalkeeper Sarahann Jackson (eight saves) earned her 12th shutout of the season to help Stanwood triumph in its 4A state tourney debut. Jackson and the Spartans didn’t let playoff pressure ruin their night.
“The pressure was really bad. I was really nervous,” said Jackson, who made a spectacular, well-timed leaping save with about 26 minutes to go – 11 minutes before Henderson’s goal.
Loser-out pressure is intense, “but once we stepped on the field we were really confident and we played as a team out here in the second half,” Jackson said.
Jackson had five saves in the final 26 minutes for Stanwood (14-1-4 overall), which made its only other state tourney appearance in 1996 (3A). The Spartans lost in the quarterfinals that year, and they have reached that point again.
Stanwood, the District 1 champion, will play host to Lake Washington at 6 p.m. Saturday in a quarterfinal game at Snohomish High School.
After the victory over Gig Harbor (12-5-2), Stanwood coach Lori Stunz told her players they must play better to get past the round of eight for the first time in school history. “Nice job. You pulled it out thanks to a freshman (Henderson),” Stunz said. ” … (But) you need to bring your A-game. This is state.”
Jackson, Stanwood’s keeper, certainly had a state-worthy performance. The junior’s most memorable save, mentioned earlier, came when she leaped high, caught a deflected, lofting shot by Dana Misterek, and fell backwards near the goal line.
“That shot scared me,” said Jackson, who slammed her hip on the play. “I knew it wasn’t going to go over the net so I backpedaled to my (goal line) and gave it my best shot (and) I caught it.”
“Obviously, this is phenomenal,” Stunz said of Jackson’s effort.
“I’ve had a lot of good games,” said Jackson, who has allowed nine goals in 19 games this season, “but that was really my best.”
As the key play that led to Jackson’s huge save developed, Gig Harbor coach Todd Northstrom said he thought, “Oh, we’re getting lucky. That’s going in.” But Jackson adjusted, twisted her body and grabbed the ball, narrowly stopping herself from rolling too far into the net and giving Gig Harbor a goal.
“Wow, great hands,” Northstrom said of the play.
Sometimes a scoreless half of soccer is a perfect substitute for sleeping pills, but the 0-0 first half between Stanwood and Gig Harbor was a fast-paced thriller. Both teams aggressively attacked and wasted no time turning defensive stops into quick counter-attacks.
Gig Harbor defenders swarmed Stanwood forward Lauren Hansen all night. Hansen, who has 22 goals this season and 52 in her career, generated several strong chances but didn’t find the net.
Enter the freshman, Henderson, who broke a scoreless tie with 15 minutes to go. Her shot from a difficult angle near the right corner zipped inside the left post, beyond the reach of Gig Harbor goalie Margaret Dupes.
“It was a big game and we were running out of time,” Henderson said.
“All season long she’s really been waiting for that (big) goal, and tonight she really stepped (it up) and gave it all her guts,” Stanwood’s Jackson said.
At Mount Vernon H.S.
Goals-Stanwood: Henderson. Goalkeepers-Gig Harbor: Dupes. Stanwood: Jackson. Records-Gig Harbor 12-5-2 overall. Stanwood 14-1-4.
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