Let the second season begin.
Sequim earned a trio of Olympic League victories in tune-ups for the postseason that began this week, taking the ninth seed into the West Central District tourney. The Wolves played Nov. 1 and would need three more wins in loser-out games to advance to state.
The Wolves (8-6 in Olympic League play and overall) put together a full 80 minutes of positive play in a 4-0 senior night shut out of Kingston in Olympic League girls soccer play at Sequim on Oct. 27.
“It turned out really well for us, the girls put two full halves together and played a nice complete game,” SHS coach Ken Garling said.
“We wanted to give our three seniors Aliyah Weber, Jenna Mason and Alexandra Salas, a good send off in their last home match.”
Some solid strategy led to Sequim’s first goal. Outside back Teagen Moore floated in a pass from the right side. Taryn Johnson was in the center at about the top of the 18-yard box and she faked like she was going to kick it. Instead, Raimey Brewer buried the shot for a 1-0 lead.
The Wolves had the run of play through the rest of the first half, possessing and building up the attack and putting about 10 more shots on goal. It took until the 57th minute, however, to add some insurance.
“Raimey had a nice cross into the center and Jenny Gomez was there in the middle had a great finish — a nice series between those two, “Garling said.
Sequim scored again quickly off a corner kick one minute later. Johnson took a ball that rebounded and bounced around for a score, Garling said.
Kaia Lestage capped the game with a late goal on what Garling called “a fantastic solo effort.”
Said Garling, “Kaia is a standout defender for us and she asked if she could go and play up top. We gave Taryn a break minutes-wise and Kaia answered the call and was dangerous the last 15 minutes. She works so hard, so we were so happy she was rewarded with a goal.”
Garling also had praise for a couple of players who stood out defensively, heralding Ivy Barrett and Hailey Wagner, for their play.
Wolves use corners to KO Knights
The Wolves scored twice off of corner kicks to get past Bremerton’s Knights in an Olympic League road contest 3-1 on Oct. 25.
The Knights scored in the ninth minute off a Sequim miscue.
“In the first half, Bremerton did a great job with pressure, pressing us high on the field,” Garling said. “We were having a hard time getting the ball out of our own end and it led to a missed clearance and an own goal.”
Sequim tied the game in the 26th minute, however, off a corner kick from Brewer.
“She dropped one in over the head of Bremerton’s goalkeeper and Taryn [Johnson] was there to tap it in,” Garling said.
Goalkeeper Kalli Groves made a pivotal save early in the second half.
“Bremerton came out fired up,” Garling said. “They come up the middle split our center backs and beat our last defender so it was 1-on-1 with the goalie. Kalli came up big with a tremendous deflection save in a spot where a goal would have put them up 2-1. She made a huge save, and that changed the momentum.
“We got possession and our offense going after that.”
Brewer sent in another fruitful corner kick in the 51st minute.
“Raimey put the ball in off a nice corner inside the 6-yard box, and Jenny Gomez charged in and put a volley on it.”
Gomez closed out the match with a 71st minute insurance goal.
“She got the ball about 25 yards out, turned, faced and cracked it into the upper-left corner,” Garling said.
Sequim also knocked off the Olympic Trojans on the road, 2-0, on Oct. 28, in a make-up date from an Oct. 13 game that was postponed because of poor air quality. Other details were not available.
Coming up
Sequim High’s girls soccer squad was slated to host Clover Park on Nov. 1 at Peninsula Colleges. With a win, Sequim would host play at eighth-seeded Lindbergh or top-seeded Fife on Nov. 2.
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s Raimey Brewer, left, looks to get past Kingston defender Faith Collins in SHS’s 4-0 win over the visiting Buccaneers on Oct. 27.
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s Alex Salas advances the ball into Kingston territory in the first half of the Wolves’ 4-0 win over the Buccaneers on Oct 27.
SEQUIM GAZETTE PHOTO BY Michael DashielL Sequim’s Taryn Johnson, right, looks for an open teammate as the Wolves take on Kingston at home on Oct. 27. Sequim won the Olympic league match-up, 4-0.
