Unstoppable force: Behind Livvy Moore’s goal-scoring prowess, Deer Park soccer surges toward postseason

Deer Park’s Livvy Moore simultaneously has 99 goals and just one goal.

The 99 have come over her three-plus-season career as the head of the Stags’ prolific attack.

The remaining one can be accomplished in a less than a month at the girls soccer state championship in Shoreline, Washington.

“Continuing to work as a team is going to be a huge part, and has been a huge part of our success so far,” Moore said. “Upping our game, trying to find everything we can do better and the things we need to work on as a team, those are the keys to winning a state title.”

Success has been a common theme for the Stags this season. Following a 1-0 victory over Northeast A league rival Freeman on Tuesday, Deer Park moved to 12-1 overall and 10-0 in league play.

Moore’s 33 goals and 19 assists lead an attack that has scored 105 times in 13 matches, seven of which the Stags have found the back of their opponent’s net at least 10 times.

“Livvy is really good with her feet and I think that she’s gotten better each year she’s progressed and a lot of that is due to playing a lot of good club soccer and tournaments,” Deer Park coach Sean O’Neal said. “She does a lot on her own, coming out to the field by herself at 5:30 a.m. and just takes a ton of shots on goal, so she’s truly a self starter.”

But the gaudy offensive numbers aren’t the only thing that gives Deer Park confidence going into the postseason. The Stags have also posted eight shutouts, something senior center back Carmen Kiewert said the team takes just as much pride in as scoring.

“The key to our defense is just maintaining where we are supposed to be positionally, not getting lost on the field or losing our marks,” Kiewert said. “It can be a little tough mentally not to let up, we’ve experienced that a few times where we build a big lead and let a goal slip in, but mental stability and maintaining that is huge for us.”

Outside of two one-goal nonleague games against Mead, including a 1-0 loss on Sept. 24, the Stags’ closest matches this season have been Tuesday’s win against the Scotties (7-4 NEA) and a 3-1 victory over Lakeside in the second match of the year.

O’Neal expects to see the Eagles (8-2 NEA) or Freeman again in the district playoffs.

“We’re a three-headed monster for the most part in this league,” O’Neal said. “Us, Lakeside and Freeman have really benefited from having each other, because even though we battle all season, without that competition we wouldn’t be as successful as we are.

“And there are some years where the fourth or fifth team is really strong as well and can cause some issues, so that helps us a ton.”

This year, for the first time, the WIAA is using RPI (ratings percentage index) in its state tournament seeding. Deer Park sits in second behind Montesano, which means the Stags would remain close to home for the first two rounds of the state tournament if they make the field.

Moore, who is committed to play at Oregon next season, believes the team’s off-field bond is their difference maker.

“We just like and care for each other and that’s our advantage,” Moore said. “When I’m down or I think I can’t push for those last 2 minutes, I think about the people around me working just as hard and remember that I have to do it for them.”

For Kiewert, who was on Deer Park’s fourth-place state team as a freshman, the dream is a championship, but she knows it won’t just be handed to the Stags.

“It’s hard to say that we deserve this title when we haven’t earned it yet,” Kiewert said.

“Playing and beating a team like Mead was a huge benchmark, so once we get (to state) that will be the proving grounds and hopefully we can say we’ve earned this and the title is ours for the taking.”