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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Mt. Spokane girls soccer moves to state

Mt. Spokane's players celebrate their first goal during Thursday's 2-0 3A regional girls soccer win over Kamiakin. (Tyler Tjomsland)
Domination wasn’t measured on the scoreboard Thursday afternoon on the soccer field at Mt. Spokane High. Rather, it was defined by the tactics the Kamiakin Braves were forced to adopt against a superior Mt. Spokane team that claimed a 2-0 win and a berth in the State 3A tournament. Facing relentless pressure, Kamiakin had to pull all but one player back into defense as the match turned into a siege. After doing everything right but finishing on a cold, blustery day, the Wildcats finally broke through in the 37th minute. Dallas Flager’s throw-in was flicked on by Danika Martin and midfielder Alyssa Lloyd volleyed the ball home for a 1-0 halftime lead. “The first half, I felt we dominated every inch of the field,” said Mt. Spokane coach Ryan Campanella, whose 17-0 club will host a first-round state tournament match on Tuesday against an opponent yet to be decided. “They were settling for 30- or 40-yard shots,” Campanella said. “I was really proud of the effort they put in.” The second half saw more of the same, except that Mt. Spokane now had the wind at its back. Again, Lloyd was in the middle of the action on the clinching goal, heading Sydney Nelson’s cross into a crowd. Forward Riley Richardson emerged to tap the ball into the Kamiakin net with 13 minutes left in the match. “This feels great,” said Lloyd, co-captain of a team that’s won the Greater Spokane League, district and now the regional titles. “Now we’re looking for a state championship.” While the scoreline wasn’t as jaw-dropping as the 11-0 win over Kennewick two days earlier, the outcome was never in doubt. Wildcats goalkeeper Shannon McReynolds didn’t face a single dangerous shot. “I really felt the girls took the game to them,” Campanella said. “We played our roles so well they were reduced to playing with one forward.” Kamiakin will have another chance to reach state in a loser-out match on Saturday against an opponent to be determined. District 7 2A Dakota Wickard recorded her 11th shutout of the season and Bre Daugherty got the offense started at the 6-minute mark as host Pullman (17-1) defeated West Valley 3-0 in the championship match. The Eagles (12-5) suffered their third shutout of the season, all against Pullman, which has a 17-game winning streak. Daugherty stole the ball and scored from 7 yards out. Becky Birchett followed with a goal at 37 minutes on a 30-yarder that was intended as a crossing pass. Alexys Garcia scored at 41 minutes on a ball headed by Maddi Cillay. Pullman will host Prosser at 1 p.m. Saturday in a regional match. West Valley will travel to Ephrata on the same day.