By Kevin Breiwick
Herald Writer
BELLINGHAM – It’s almost as if the Meadowdale girls soccer team had been waiting for this moment. Afterall, they had gone through the very same situation during practices. But this shootout went beyond the standard five penalty shots.
It took the Mavericks seven players and a very capable goalkeeper to nail down their winner-to-state Class 3A Northwest District championship-game victory 4-3 over Bellingham at Civic Field Friday night.
Bellingham will play for second place and a trip to state against Squalicum, a 2-0 winner over Burlington-Edison Friday, today at 7 p.m. at Civic Field.
After a scoreless regualtion and two five-minute overtimes, Meadowdale got the chance it had been waiting for.
“We’ve been practicing this (shootouts) all the time,” Meadowdale coach Mike Bartley said. “We knew we needed to practice nine players deep.”
Bartley and the other Meadowdale coaches had scouted Bellingham and Bartley said he knew what the first four shooters were going to do.
It must have worked because the Red Raiders scored on three of their five chances, equalling the output of Meadowdale’s Kelsey Larson, Kate Nelson and Morgan Overturf.
But Bartley wasn’t the only one who was ready for the shootout. Maverick goalkeeper Allie Wirtala, who had stopped the Red Raiders’ offense numerous times during regualtion, couldn’t have been any more primed. Jittery throughout regulation play, Wirtala’s demeanor changed when it came time for the shootout.
“It was very nerve racking (during regulation), but my defense did really well,” she said. “I looked forward to the pressure in the shootout.”
Melissa Alunni scored on Meadowdale’s seventh opportunity, and Wirtala then blocked two straight shots to preserve the victory. Her last save was a dive to her left.
“I knew I had it,” she said. “She looked nervous and I knew I had it.”
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