Gig Harbor soccer team advances to district playoffs

Tides need a win Saturday to reach state tournament

Marques Hunter

of the Gateway

The Gig Harbor girls soccer team stamped its ticket to the Class 4A West Central District playoffs.

The Tides earned a district berth the fastest way possible by shutting out Central Kitsap 1-0 in the opening round of the Narrows League playoffs last week at Gig Harbor High School.

They lost 1-0 to South Kitsap on Saturday at Mount Tahoma Stadium and were scheduled to play Stadium for either the No. 3 or No. 4 district seed after press time on Tuesday.

Having been through a loser-out scenario last year, the Tides didn’t want do travel down the same path. Central Kitsap stood in their way of a guaranteed a playoff spot.

The game-winning goal came from freshman midfielder Alexandra Bohnett during a corner kick.

The ball squirted away from the scrum near the goal and Bohnett used her foot to poke the ball into the corner of the goal during the 47th minute of the match.

It was Bohnett’s biggest goal of the year, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

“We get to go on, and we don’t have to play a loser-out (league) game,” she said.

Neither team was able to gain an advantage prior to the score. There were an equal number of shots on goal in the first half, and the two squads played to a scoreless tie during the regular season.

It appeared an overtime scenario may be looming, but on an unsuspecting corner kick — the Tides hadn’t been a team to rely on corner-kick scoring this season — the offense broke the tie.

After the goal, Tides head coach Dani States said Gig Harbor controlled the match with their physical play and speed.

“A win is a win,” States said. “It’s a relief. It’s nice to know we are in.”

States said the Tides didn’t come out to play in the first half. It came down to who wanted it more in the second half, she said.

“They definitely showed up in the second half,” States said. “They were hungry and going after everything.”

After Bohnett’s goal, Gig Harbor’s defense did its job. Each time Central Kitsap pushed ahead, the defense marked up and plugged the run.

Gig Harbor midfielder Katie Brooks said it was an important win.

“The first half, we were a little lackadaisical,” Brooks said. “The second half, we needed to want it. We went for goal and put our passes together and got the job done.”

Cougars co-captain Hannah Anderson finished with six shots on goal but none of them were serious threats against Tides keeper Brit Werner.

Going into the match, Gig Harbor hadn’t lost since a Sept. 17 defeat against Bellarmine Prep.

The Tides ended the regular season in third place with a 6-1-3 Narrows League mark, 7-2-4 overall.

Reach sports reporter Marques Hunter at 253-853-9246 or by e-mail at marques.hunter@gateline.com.