G-Prep has defense on its mind

Offense may excite the fans, but Gonzaga Prep’s girls soccer team will attest that defense reaps the rewards.

For the first time, the Bullpups girls are in the State 4A semifinals in Tacoma, tonight against Stadium in a field that includes Tacoma sister school Bellarmine Prep and Jackson.

They are the only Greater Spokane League team besides Mead to have reached the championship weekend.

“It really is an amazing testament to what these girls have done,” said coach Christian Birrer, whose previous semifinals were twice with the Bullpups boys and before that as an assistant with North Central’s boys.

“At the beginning of the year there were four or five teams who, on paper, were equally strong and had a legitimate shot at a GSL title,” he said.

Then there was the matter of getting past teams from the Big Nine, including defending state champion, Richland.

Prep ended a scoreless tie with a shootout victory to qualify for the semifinals. The win personified the difference between last year’s and this year’s team.

“Last year we really put the emphasis on our attack,” said Birrer. “We had Alex Butler on the wing to carry the ball downfield and looked to outscore teams.”

This year Gonzaga Prep had a glut of defenders and midfielders from its nine returnees. The GSL MVP last year, Butler’s role changed more to that of defender.

“It made sense to play to our strengths,” said Birrer.

While last weekend’s victory over Richland may have looked like the Bullpups were playing for a tie, it wasn’t the case, said Birrer. They played a normal game, but with Sarah Jennings, Jenny Tracy and one of three contributing freshmen, Sophie Johnson, nursing injuries, the attack was limited. Eventually fatigue set in from lack of depth.

If there is a team that plays for a shootout, said Birrer, it’s Stadium. The team won twice by shootout in the playoffs.

“They’re very defensive minded, as are we, but scored only one goal in their last four games, from what I’ve heard,” he said.

The question mark is how the Bullpups will react to playing on artificial turf for the first time. All GSL matches were on grass. They’ve practiced at Joe Albi Stadium to simulate this weekend. Lakewood Stadium has Field Turf.

“Shooting is trickier. The ball runs away from players,” said Birrer. “The field has a crown and plays pretty quick.”

Gonzaga will, as it has all year, play physically on defense, rely on sophomore keeper Elise Kuhar-Pitters and generate offense from scoring leader Sarah Dean (14 goals, five assists) and a host of others. Seven players, including freshman Stacey Hamer, junior Molly Cronin, Butler and Johnson, scored two or more goals this year.

State 1A/B

St. George’s saved its best for last and is back in the semis tonight against Mt. Vernon Christian, for the first time since its state title in 2000.

After starting the season 1-4-1, the Dragons have won 11 of their last 13, both losses to regular-season Northeast District champion Northwest Christian.

But in last week’s quarterfinals, St. George’s prevailed in a shootout following a 0-0 tie with the Crusaders.

It was their fourth meeting of the season, the Crusaders winning the previous three and not allowing a Dragons goal in regulation or OT.

But the three-pronged offensive attack of Adam Lawrence (13 goals), Tim Annan and Davis Vaughn (eight apiece), ignited by assists leader Tad Johnson, has the Dragons playing for another title.