Highline women’s soccer shutout Centralia and Pierce, keeping their second-place ranking in the NWAC West as they edge towards playoffs.
In last week’s competition, Highline was scheduled to play Pierce on Wednesday, Oct. 19. The game was postponed to Monday, Oct. 24 due to unhealthy air quality conditions.
Last Saturday at the Starfire Field, the Lady T-Birds stopped the Trail Blazers in their tracks with a final score of 2-0.
Highline had an aggressive start with four shots on goal to none. Centralia goalie Maggie McAuley made two saves, stopping the Thunderbirds from scoring in the first period.
In the second half, Highline kept the offensive pressure on with eight shots to Centralia’s two.
The team wanted to come out and play how they do each game, said Head Coach Thomas Moore.
“We create chances, score important goals, and don’t give up. So far, we have been very stingy in not giving up many goals this season. We want to continue that, but also score a few more goals to give us some breathing room in games,” said Moore.
In the 78th minute Highline’s Zjada Baydass scored the first goal of the game assisted by Kayla Ness. Shortly after, Highline’s Kayla Ness netted the second goal assisted by Emma Therkildsen in the 82nd minute.
Sophomore Kayla Ness is currently tied for seventh in total goals made and tied for fifth in shots in the NWAC individual leaderboard.
On Monday, Highline faced Pierce for their postponed regular season meeting. Both teams had something on the line. Highline was one win away from clinching the second playoff spot and Pierce needed a win to stay in contention for the fourth spot.
At the Starfire Field, the Lady T-Birds triumphed over the Pierce Raiders 2-0 for Highline’s 10th shutout of the season.
In the first period, both teams had four shots apiece. Highline’s Olivia Quinnett netted Highline’s first goal in the 41st minute unassisted.
In the second period, Highline picked up the pace with eight shots to Pierce’s four. In the 72nd minute, Highline’s Zjada Baydass scored the team’s second goal assisted by Isabelle White.
As Highline charged towards the Raider goal, two Pierce players clashed in an attempt to stop White. The collision caused an upset from Pierce’s coach who received a yellow card followed by a red in the 72nd minute.
Towards the end of the game, Pierce received another yellow and red card.
Although playoffs are certain for Highline, the team awaits their tournament seed which will be determined after Saturday’s match.
This week will be a trying one with three conference games scheduled before the NWAC regional playoffs next week.
The team’s goal is to stay healthy through the end of the regular season, said Coach Moore.
“We had our girls recover with ice baths and some yoga sessions, but it will be difficult to perform at the level we want with such little rest. All of the games this week are very important to our playoff run, and we can’t afford to not be healthy,” said Moore.
On Wednesday, Highline hosted Tacoma at 1:00 p.m. with results unavailable at press time.
This Saturday, the Lady T-Birds will head down south to challenge Clark for their last conference game. The match begins at noon.
“We are making sure we are getting excited about competing in games with playoff implications and remembering to enjoy the moment together,” said Moore.