SHORELINE — A steady drizzle of rain relentlessly splattered the turf at Shoreline Stadium Thursday night, but a different sort of storm was the center of attention.
Often generating scoring opportunities at a did-that-just-happen rate, the Everett High School girls soccer team rolled past the Shorecrest Scots 2-0 in the Class 3A District 1 championship game. Annie Sittauer and Alysia Letourneau scored goals for Everett, which won its third consecutive district title and a berth into the 3A state tournament.
Co-captains Shelby Bell and Valerie Stahl had assists for the Seagulls, who improved to 16-2-1. Bell and Stahl are part of Everett’s core of seniors: 10 experienced, unselfish players who once again propelled the team to state.
“You’ve got to give credit where it’s due. This senior class — it’s all about them,” Everett head coach Kosta Pitharoulis said.
Goalkeeper Emily Nesting was rarely tested and recorded her ninth shutout of the season for Everett, which is the District 1 No. 1 seed and hosts the District 3/4 No. 6 seed Tuesday or Wednesday.
Consistently linking precise passes with effective cuts, Everett thoroughly controlled the pace in the first half. The Seagulls built a 2-0 lead, scoring twice during a two-minute span that started with a little less than 18 minutes to go before halftime.
“We attack with numbers and teams just kind of weather the storm,” Pitharoulis said.
Opponents try to, anyway. Everett has outscored its foes 67-11 this season.
“They’re a very fast team. At points, they were attacking with almost five people,” Shorecrest head coach Mindy Dalziel said.
Sittauer put Everett on the scoreboard first. She connected on a 15-yard shot that zipped cleanly inside the left post for her sixth goal of the year.
“I volleyed across my body to the far post. I’m not really sure how,” said Sittauer, who trapped a pass from Bell with her thigh and shot with her right foot.
A corner kick ignited Everett’s second scoring play, a soccer-style double-header. Set up by Stahl’s headed cross, Letourneau scored by using her head to knock the ball into the goal mouth. It was her eighth goal this fall.
“Major kudos. They’re a decent team and if they don’t go all the way I’ll be really surprised,” Dalziel said.
After advancing to the state quarterfinals the past two years, Everett hopes to go further this time.
“We set our goals at the beginning of the year and our first one was (winning) league and now districts. We’re working our way up,” Bell said.
“We have the experience — pretty much every single player,” she added. “We just need our senior leadership to step up.”
Shorecrest (12-5-2) is still alive. It plays a loser-out, winner-to-state game against Mount Vernon at 1 p.m. Saturday at Shoreline Stadium. The winner gets the district’s No. 2 seed and plays at the District 5/8 No. 1 seed next week.
Caroline Towles, Shorecrest’s goalkeeper, prevented the Scots from falling farther behind Everett by making an assortment of stops. Whether she was flat-footed, diving or lunging, Towles denied a barrage of Everett shots and tallied nine saves in the first 40 minutes (16 saves overall).
“I can’t say enough about their goalie. She played an amazing game,” coach Pitharoulis said.
Before Thursday, the last time Everett and Shorecrest played was 2006. It was the 3A district title game and Everett prevailed 1-0 in overtime. Suzy Olsen scored the only goal on an assist from Sele Vance. Olsen, now a senior, and Vance (a junior) are both key players on Everett’s 2008 squad.
Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
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