EVERETT — By the end of the game, the score didn’t matter.
The Jackson girls soccer team saw the final game of its season get away from it in the final minutes. Trailing 5-2 in the opening round of the 4A state tournament, the Timberwolves charged forward looking for another goal, only to allow three more in the final 10 minutes.
But after the final whistle blew in Jackson’s 8-2 defeat to Issaquah, Timberwolves head coach Jesslyn Kellerman stood on the field at Everett Memorial Stadium and couldn’t speak highly enough of the Jackson players — especially the seniors, who arrived at Jackson the same year Kellerman did to coach.
“I think that the score wasn’t indicative of how hard the girls fought and how it didn’t feel like the game was over at the end because they didn’t ever give up,” Kellerman said. “This is a special team. These seniors were freshmen the first year I coached here. These girls are not just girls I coach. I’m a stay-at-home mom so this is all I do outside of my personal life. These girls are my babysitters, they’re the girls that my daughter knows by name. They pick her up and take her to the park. She looks forward to coming to games — she knows them. It’s about more than soccer. It’s about building that community.”
Issaquah struck early and often with the first of its eight goals in the second minute. Eagles sophomore Catey Nelson, who finished with a hat trick, scored off an assist from Kirstie Johnson. Nelson scored all three of her goals in the first half to help Issaquah build a 4-1 halftime lead after Jackson freshman Keile Hansen scored five minutes before the break.
“A team like Issaquah — you just hear the name and there’s tradition behind it,” Kellerman said. “I think our girls maybe came out a little bit scared, maybe not trusting that they were at the same caliber as a team like Issaquah. Coming out on our heels playing a little bit nervous. In any sport it’s hard to go down that quickly.”
The Eagles took control with a goal in the 53rd minute by Carly Danner. Jackson got a score from senior Drew Locknane to pull to within 5-2, but, with the Timberwolves pressing forward for offense, Issaquah netted three goals in the final eight minutes to clinch the victory and punch its ticket to the state quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive season.
Jackson (15-3-1), which finished second in last year’s 4A state tournament, had allowed more than one goal in a game just three times all season, and had outscored opponents 59-11 heading into Tuesday’s contest. Issaquah out-shot the Timberwolves 16-5 in the first half and 26-10 in the contest.
“It’s kind of hard to stop the bleeding when you’re a coach,” Kellerman said. “As a player, I was one of the emotional players. You need to have somebody who just comes out there and decides to make it happen. … It does snowball. Once they score a couple goals they go up, we go down. That’s kind of how it happens.
“Whether we lose 5-2 or 8-2 it doesn’t matter. We have to try to score goals.”
Jackson was also hurt by the loss of senior forward Kristina Serres, who went down in a collision early in the first half and could not return.
“She’s an emotional leader on the field,” Kellerman said. “In a game that you’re down you want Kristina on the field to be able to rally the troops. To not have her in there was really challenging.
“(The game) was definitely more physical than I anticipated. I think the girls were allowed to play more physically than they have in the past. I don’t know if that’s because it’s state and girls are allowed to play a little more physically. It’s definitely a factor.”
Kellerman wasn’t thrilled having to play Issaquah in the opening round of the state tournament, but told the Timberwolves if they wanted to get back to the championship game, they’d have to face the Eagles at some point.
“The bracket is just unfortunate this year,” Kellerman said. “A lot of the teams that are stronger who have returning good players who got far last year are all kind of on one half of the bracket. … We knew what we were getting into. It’s not a game that we’d like to play in the first round but I just told my girls, ‘In order to get where we want to go we have to beat every team.’”
And even though the Timberwolves fell short of that goal and there were a lot of tears and hugs after the game, Kellerman said she’ll always remember the 2015 Jackson squad and its seniors.
“I think that even though the season didn’t end the way we want I hope that my daughter will grow up to be like any of those seniors,” Kellerman said. “They’re great young women and I’ve seen them grow. It’s sad that the season ended earlier than we’d like but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re just great women and they’re going to make a difference in the world.”
At Everett Memorial Stadium
Goals—Catey Nelson (I) 3, Alina Ruzicka (I) 2, Carly Danner (I), Kirstie Johnson (I), Molly Darragh (I), Keile Hansen (J), Drew Locknane (J). Assists—Johnson (I), Mariah Van Halm (I) 2, Siarafo Abekah (I) 2. Goalkeepers—Issaquah: Anna Miller. Jackson: Kayleigh Sedlacek. Records—Issaquah 13-2-2 overall. Jackson 15-3-1.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
