EVERETT — Jackson head coach Michael Bartley was so uncertain of his girls soccer team heading into the season, that he didn’t even have a full lineup of starting players in mind like he had in previous seasons.
But in Jackson’s final regular season game, it earned a huge win over Edmonds-Woodway 3-0 Wednesday night at Everett Memorial Stadium.
The win was important for a confidence standpoint, Bartley stated, but it also makes Jackson the South No.2 seed in the 4A District 1 playoffs. Jackson (9-5 league, 9-6-1 overall, 27 points) came into Wednesday’s game a point behind E-W. The loss for the Warriors (9-5, 10-6, 26 points) makes them the No.3 seed.
“Right now we are starting to gel, and now is a good time cause we are playing the best teams,” Bartley said. “It took us two-thirds of the season to figure out who is starting … it has been a challenge, but it has been very rewarding.”
The Timberwolves played a chess match with E-W for the first 30 minutes, with a definitive strike from Denae Fitz in the 30th minute off Cara Wegner’s assist for a 1-0 Jackson lead.
The goal was important, not only for taking the lead, but in halting E-W’s midfield possession tactic it had tried for most of the game.
“There is a great rivalry between the two teams,” Bartley said, “so it was physical. There were great chances at the beginning but no one capitalized.”
E-W began to deviate from its game plan when forced to play catchup and Molly McPherson (60th minute, Fitz assist) and Wegner ( 78th minute, Tia Carrillo assist) added two more goals for Jackson. McPherson’s goal came off a corner kick.
“We have won our last four out of five, so our timing is good,” Bartley said.
KC Wilson earned the shutout in goal for the Timberwolves, Jackson’s sixth shutout this season.
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