Formerly No. 1-ranked Titans and last year’s state runner-ups upset by Tahoma, 2-0; TJ falls to Bellarmine
The Todd Beamer Titans came into the 2008 girls soccer season with one single goal — to return to the Class 4A State Championship game and win it.
They won’t get that chance.
The Titans (13-3-2) were upset at Saturday’s West Central District Tournament by the Tahoma Bears, 2-0, at Art Crate Stadium in Graham.
The loss ended Beamer’s season after the Titans spent most of the year as the No. 1-ranked team in the state. The Titans lost to Eastlake High School in a penalty-kick shootout in the 2007 state title game.
Beamer, which has won three-straight South Puget Sound League South Division titles, started the season 13-0-1 before suffering three losses and a tie in their final four games of the year.
The Titans just couldn’t get anything going Saturday against the Tahoma Bears, who finished third in the SPSL North behind Kentwood and Auburn Riverside.
The two teams played a scoreless first half, before Tahoma sophomore Mollie Picha tallied the game winner on a penalty kick in the opening minutes of the second half to give the Bears (10-4-4) a 1-0 lead. Kaylee Osterman added an unassisted insurance goal in the 64th minute to finalize the score.
Tahoma goalkeepers Kaila Wilkinson and Amber Woolcock combined to shut out the usually-potent Beamer offense. The Titans entered the game averaging nearly four goals a game and had three players with 11 or more goals during the season — Holland Crook (18 goals), Megan Miller (13) and Breanna Straus (11).
Beamer should be solid again next season. Miller is the lone senior on the roster and Crook leads a huge junior class.
The Raiders just didn’t have enough for the Narrows League champion Lions on Saturday afternoon at Mount Tahoma Stadium. The 2-0 loss to Bellarmine (15-1-2) at the West Central District Tournament ended TJ’s season.
The Raiders finished fourth in the SPSL North and beat Decatur in a loser-out game at the SPSL Tournament to earn the berth into districts. Jefferson ended the season 9-6-3.
The win advances Bellarmine into their sixth consecutive Class 4A state tournament. The Lions will host Eastlake tonight.
The Raiders played well during the first half Saturday against Bellarmine. But it was the second half that proved to be the difference.
Bellarmine’s game-winning goal came on a corner kick in the 59th minute. Midfielder Claire Yearian sent in a beautiful pass from the corner right onto the head of defender Kaitlyn Pavlovich.
Bellarmine forward Jessica Christian added an insurance goal in the 72nd minute on a tap-in.
Sports editor Casey Olson: 925-5565, sports@fedwaymirror.com
