Taylor’s late goal gives Mead regional title

Breanne Taylor may not attend Mead, but it’s a fair bet the school would open its doors to her.

Following a gorgeous pass from teammate Lauren Layton, Taylor split three defenders and scored with less than a minute remaining to lift Mead to a 2-1 victory over Southridge in a 4A regional championship at Albi Stadium on Saturday.

Mead (15-1) will host a state playoff game at Albi on Tuesday at 4 p.m., although Panthers coach Steve Snider said he wasn’t sure what opponent his team would face.

Mead and Southridge appeared to be headed toward overtime, but Layton’s perfectly placed pass out of the defensive backfield allowed Taylor to find a seam in the Suns’ defense. Taylor took two dribbles before firing a shot past Southridge goalkeeper Courtney Hancock for the go-ahead goal.

“I was running at the goal thinking, ‘I’m gonna make this, I’m gonna make this,’ ” said Taylor, a junior at Northwest Christian who plays for Mead because NWC doesn’t field a girls soccer team. “(The shot) was going in.”

Layton is one of just three Panthers seniors, and she didn’t need to be reminded that any loss will end her standout high school career.

“There are no easy games left,” she said.

Southridge, the third seed out of the Columbia Basin Big Nine League, was no pushover. The Suns (14-5) matched Mead’s physical play and earned a halftime tie with Heather Johnson’s goal 27 minutes into the contest.

Alexa Banaugh gave the Panthers an early lead when she threw her body in front of Morgan Fryman’s corner kick and redirected the ball into the net for a 1-0 lead at the 13-minute mark. It appeared the ball ricocheted off Banaugh’s ribs, but the junior was quick to correct that.

“It was more like my kidney,” she said.

Gonzaga Prep 2, Kamiakin 1: Alyssa Kirstein’s header on a cross from Megan Lindsay in the 70th minute gave the visiting Bullpups (14-3) the victory and the third seed into the state playoffs.

The Bullpups play Tuesday in the Tri-Cities.

Kamiakin took a 1-0 lead at the 20-minute mark on a goal by Jori Skorpick, but Erica Hart countered at 33 minutes with a volley over the keeper’s head.

3A

East Valley 1, Shadle Park 0 (SO): The Knights outscored the Highlanders 4-1 in a shootout at Albi and claimed the school’s first 3A regional title.

The Knights (9-7) will host either Olympic or Hazen of Renton on Tuesday at Albi. As the region’s second seed, Shadle (6-10) must travel across the state for its state tournament opener Tuesday against a rival to be determined.

The Highlanders could have avoided the shootout in the final minute of the second overtime, but Kristi Wirtz pushed a penalty kick wide right to preserve EV’s chance to win.

In the shootout, Mallory Mott, Echo Abramson, Morgan Manchester and Kennah Meyer scored successive goals for the Knights, who also defeated Shadle in a shootout earlier this season.

Knights coach Gabe Escobar graduated from EV in 1997 after playing varsity soccer for four years.

“We went to state a couple times,” he said. “But to come back and in my second season (as coach) and get to this point, it’s surreal and inspiring.”

2A

Cheney 2, Pullman 0: Molly McClure and Kellie Zakrzewski scored second-half goals to give the Blackhawks (14-4) the District 7 championship over the Greyhounds (15-3) at Plantes Ferry Park. Keeper Nora Ifft helped preserve the win by stopping a penalty kick in the first half. Cheney is home for the first round of the playoffs, facing Ridgefield at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Pullman plays at Selah.

1A/B boys

Moses Lake Christian 2, St. George’s 1: In the battle for the top seed to the state playoffs, MLC defeated the Dragons (14-3-1) 4-3 in a shootout at Sunnyside Christian. Both teams had scored late. Cort Anderson put St. George’s up in the 82nd minute, but just 3 minutes later Lowell Kirkwood tied it on a cross. The Dragons are home against Mt. Vernon Christian this week, date and time to be determined.

Riverside Christian 2, Northwest Christian 1: Derrick Byrne scored his second goal in the 76th minute to bring the Crusaders’ season to an end. Jeff Gullickson’s goal, on an assistant from Derek Buttrick, had pulled NWC (9-8) into a tie early in the second half.