MOUNT VERNON – The Archbishop Murphy girls soccer team is headed back to familiar territory, getting there in an unfamiliar way.
The Wildcats advanced to the semifinals of the state tournament for the fifth time in six years after defeating the Burlington-Edison Tigers 2-1 in a shootout in a Class 2A state quarterfinal playoff game played in a steady rain Friday at Mount Vernon High School.
“It sure feels good,” Archbishop Murphy coach Pat Jack said. “We had a shootout for a (state) championship about three years ago and we lost by one shot. … We’ve won at districts in a shootout, but this is the first (state tournament shootout) we’ve ever won.”
After a scoreless first half – the majority of which Archbishop Murphy kept the ball in Burlington-Edison’s end of the field but couldn’t solve Tigers defense – the teams traded goals in the first seven minutes of the second period before finishing regulation knotted at one. After two scoreless five-minute overtime periods, the teams set up for the shootout.
Each side found the net on its first three shots. The Wildcats’ fourth shooter, Brittany Allen, scored but the Tigers’ shot bounced away off the right post, giving Archbishop Murphy a chance to seal the victory.
“I was really, really relieved and excited,” Archbishop Murphy goalkeeper Sarah Carrott said of the Tigers’ miss. “But then I realized we needed to go score the next one.”
Wildcats junior Casey Gould stepped up and calmly drilled the ball past the Burlington-Edison keeper, sending the Archbishop Murphy players and coaches rushing forward to mob her in celebration.
“I just did what I do in practice,” Gould said. “Place it – simple, easy pass into the corner. … I turned around and the team was flooding out at me, it felt so good.”
Drea Gaitan, Melissa VonderHofen, and Alli Beard sank the Wildcats’ first three shootout goals.
VonderHofen got Archbishop Murphy (19-3-0 overall) on the scoreboard first in the 43rd minute, pushing the ball into an open net from inside the box when the Tigers’ keeper came out to make a save and then became tangled in a crowd.
The Tigers (15-4-0) responded three minutes later when Krista Studebaker found the net after Carrott made a save but lost control of the wet ball.
“It was really slippery out there,” Carrott said of game conditions. “But that was fine, I like playing in the rain.”
Carrott finished with nine saves during regulation and five in the two overtime periods. B-E’s Caitlin Dotlich had five total saves, four during regulation and one in overtime, for the Tigers.
Archbishop Murphy advances to the state semifinals to play the winner of today’s quarterfinal match between Bellingham and Eatonville.
The semifinal and final rounds of the state tournament will be played at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood. Archbishop Murphy’s semifinal match begins at 10 a.m. Friday, with the final set for 4 p.m. Saturday.
At Mount Vernon High School
Goals-Archbishop Murphy: VonderHofen. Burlington-Edison: Studebaker. Goalkeepers-Archbishop Murphy: Carrott. Burlington-Edison: Dotlich. Records-Archbishop Murphy 19-3-0 overall. Burlington-Edison 15-5-0.
King’s 4, Onalaska-Napavine 0: At Edmonds, Kendall Thoreson scored two goals and assisted on another to lead the Knights to the 1A state quarterfinal win. In the semifinals, King’s plays the winner of today’s Seattle Christian vs. Montesano game at 4 p.m. Friday at Curtis H.S. in University Place.
At Edmonds District Stadium
Goals-King’s: Johnson, Thoreson 2, Quinn. Assists-King’s: Thoreson, Gfford 2. Goalkeepers-Onalaska-Napavine: Gallivan. King’s: Dapper. Records-Onalaska-Napavine not reported. King’s 17-5 overall.
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