LAKE STEVENS – The Stanwood girls soccer team left the Lake Stevens Vikings seeing red and feeling blue as the Spartans earned a 2-0 Western Conference 4A winner-to-state victory Saturday at Lake Stevens High School.
Stanwood captured its first Class 4A state tournament berth and will make its first state appearance since 1996. The Spartans play Jackson at 7 p.m. Thursday at Monroe High School for the Wesco crown and the district’s No. 1 seed into the state tournament.
“We have been just waiting for this for so long,” Stanwood’s Lauren Hansen said. “It’s one of the best feelings in the world right now. We’ve been battling and battling for a long time to get to this point and it feels so awesome.”
“I told them they were the better team,” Stanwood coach Lori Stunz said. “They just went out and proved it.”
The Vikings face the winner of Monday’s Kamiak-Cascade match at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Lake Stevens High School.
Lake Stevens (12-4-1 overall) and Stanwood (12-1-4) finished the regular season as co-Wesco North champions, ending up tied in points and forcing a tiebreaker match to determine the district seedings.
The two teams played two 20-minute halves, but Stanwood needed just five minutes to take the lead.
Stanwood’s Kelsey Harms took a shot from 35 yards away and the ball hit the crossbar and bounced back in front of the Vikings goal. Hansen raced through Lake Stevens’ defense and slotted the ball into the left side of the goal for her 19th score of the season and 49th of her career to give the Spartans all the offense they would need.
Hansen, verbally committed to play at Utah State, added anther goal in the 13th minute. Hansen pounced on a weak pass intended for Lake Stevens’ goalkeeper Erial Three Stars from a Viking defender and scored to give Stanwood a 2-0 advantage.
Hansen anchors a Stanwood senior class that has seen the Spartans rise from Wesco also-rans to district champions in four years. Stanwood missed the district playoffs by one point the past two years.
“That has been their driving force,” Stunz said of the seniors. “They have been fantastic and brought Stanwood soccer to a new level.”
Spartans goalkeeper Sarahann Jackson posted her 11th shutout of the season.
“She has been so amazing for us, she is just crazy and she will battle to try to stop anything,” said Hansen of the junior goalkeeper.
At Lake Stevens H.S.
Goals-Stanwood: Hansen 2. Goalkeepers-Stanwood: Jackson. Lake Stevens: Three Stars. Records-Stanwood is 12-1-4 overall. Lake Stevens 12-4-1.
Arlington 2, Squalicum 0: At Bellingham, Amanda Wreggelsworth and Kristina Longosky each scored a goal for Arlington to lead the Eagles to victory in the first round of the 3A District 1 playoffs. Arlington plays Everett on Tuesday.
At Whatcom CC
Goals-Arlington Wreggelsworth, Longosky. Assists-Arlington: Pederson. Goalkeepers-Arlington: Parlan. Squalicum: Atkins. Records-Arlington 3-9-5 overall. Squalicum not reported.
Everett 2, Ferndale 0: At Everett, Valerie Stahl and Sele Vance each scored as the Seagulls eliminated the Golden Eagles. Makenna Brinster recorded the shutout in goal for Everett. The Seagulls face Arlingon Tuesday at Edmonds Stadium.
At Everett Memorial Stadium
Goals-Everett: Stahl, Vance. Assists-Everett: Veith. Goalkeepers-Everett: Brinster. Ferndale: Andrews. Records-Everett 9-5-3 overall.
Mount Vernon 1, Meadowdale 0: At Mount Vernon, Tia Brogna scored the Bulldogs’ lone goal as they moved on and eliminated the Mavericks from the Class 3A playoffs. Mount Vernon plays Shorecrest Tuesday.
At Mt. Vernon H.S.
Goals-Mt. Vernon: Brogna Goalkeepers-Meadowdale: Murphy. Records-Meadowdale 6-9-2 overall.
Bellingham 5, Lakewood 0: At Bellingham, Alyssa Michel and Molly Shannon each scored twice as Bellingham rolled over Lakewood. Lakewood faces Burlington-Edison on Wednesday in a loser-out game, while Bellingham plays Archbishop Murphy on Tuesday.
At Civic Stadium
Goals-Bellingham: Shannon 2, Michel 2, Moore. Goalkeepers-Bellingham: Hoag. Lakewood: Steinborn. Records-Lakewood 7-11 overall.
Archbishop Murphy 2, Burlington-Edison 1: At Everett, Lindsey Bos scored twice in the game’s first six minutes to send Archbishop Murphy on to the semifinals of the 2A District 1 tournament. The Wildcats play Bellingham on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
At Archbishop Murphy
Goals-Burlington-Edison: Latham. Archbishop Murphy: Bos 2. Assists-Archbishop Murphy: Pettinger, Vonder Hosen. Goalkeepers-Burlington-Edison: Dotlich. Archbishop Murphy: Hughes, Carratt. Records-Archbishop Murphy 15-2 overall.
Cedarcrest 8, Granite Falls 0: At Duvall, Amanda Johnson had a hat trick 15 minutes into the game and added an assist later on to lead the Red Wolves to the 2A District 1 playoff victory. Cedarcrest takes on Sehome Tuesday.
At Cedarcrest High School
Goals-Cedarcrest: Johnson 3, Dowd 2, Schold, Biggs, Kearney. Assists-Cedarcrest: Biggs, Johnson. Goalkeepers-Cedarcrest: H. Butterfield, K. Butterfield. Granite Falls: Hensley. Records-Granite Falls 7-11 overall. Cedarcrest 17-0.
King’s 3, Nooksak Valley 0: At Mount Vernon, Lauren Thompson scored the first goal of the game early on to help lead King’s to the Class 1A District 1 playoff game. King’s next plays Lynden-Christian on Monday.
At Mount Vernon H.S.
Goals-King’s: Thompson, Zevenbergens, Quinn. Assists-King’s: Thoreson, Thompson. Goalkeepers-King’s: Dapler. Nooksak Valley: not reported. Records-Nooksak Valley not reported. King’s 13-4 overall.
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