G-Prep upsets defending champs

A new State 4A state girls soccer champion will be crowned in 2005. Gonzaga Prep, a state semifinalist last season and No. 2 team from the Greater Spokane League, scored off a deflection early in the second half and went on to post a 2-0 first-round playoff victory over Bellarmine Prep on Tuesday night at Mount Tahoma High Stadium.

It was the Lions’ first opening-round exit since 2001.

Gonzaga Prep (15-3) and top-ranked Richland will meet in the 4A quarterfinals, likely Saturday afternoon in the Tri-Cities in a rematch of a Nov. 1 district game – a Bombers’ 1-0 shootout triumph.

Gonzaga Prep and Richland also met in last year’s state quarterfinals, when the Bullpups earned a 1-0 shootout victory of their own.

Bellarmine Prep finished its season 13-2-4. After being outshot 9-2 in the first half, the Bullpups scored in a bizarre way in the 42nd minute.

With the ball rolling around near the Bellarmine goal, Lions’ forward Dolly Enneking came up to clear it – except her ball hit Gonzaga Prep’s Sarah Dean right in the foot.

Dean, who stands at a burly 5-foot-10, apparently got all of her foot on the ball, because it returned toward the Lions’ goal in a flash – and well over the reach of Bellarmine goalkeeper Kelsey Gasseling for a 1-0 lead.

“She can kick it pretty far,” Gonzaga Prep coach Christian Birrer said of Dean. “She is all heart. Today, she showed up, she was all over the field. You’ll see her drop back for the long kick. She is the defender for a while, the midfielder for a while and the forward for a while. Once we got that goal, that settled the game down for us.”

Dean’s iron foot came to play again, this time in the 65th minute off a corner kick. She rifled the ball near the left post that defender Tara Cronin headed in for the final goal.

Elise Kuhar-Pitters notched 10 saves to earn the shutout for Gonzaga Prep.

The last time a 4A girls champion lost in the first round the year after winning the state title was 2002, when Federal Way beat Tahoma.

State 3A

Laura Hagen earned a hat trick to lead Seattle Prep to a 4-1 victory over East Valley in a first-round game at Seattle’s Memorial Stadium.

Hagen scored the game-winner for the Panthers (13-2) on a penalty kick in the 34th minute. Kaylyn Plumb gave the Knights (10-9) an early lead off an Amy Fitterer assist in the 20th minute.

State 2A

Katie Roy scored in the 87th minute to give East Valley (Yakima) a 2-1, double overtime victory over host Pullman in a first round game.

Freshman Tonya Rollin scored for the Red Devils (20-1) in the 61st minute to force overtime. Sami Johnson struck first for the Greyhounds, who finished their season 17-2.

•Katelyn McDonnell scored in the fifth and sixth minutes, then assisted on an insurance goal in the 35th as Ephrata (16-3) defeated visiting Riverside 3-0 in a first-round game.

Amanda Sturm had 20 saves for the Rams (10-8), who were outshot 28-2.