It was long, tense, and highly competitive; and the buildup to the game wasn't exactly perfect, but after a 120 minutes of play and twelve penalty kicks, FC Willamette Pride eventually secured their fourth consecutive OYSA State championship after defeating the Lake Oswego Sting 3-2, Saturday at Hillsboro HS. In a game which was always going to be close and didn't disappoint, solid chances were few and far between. LO struck first early in the second half on a powerful drive from the edge of the penalty area. Despite going a goal down, the Pride team stuck to the task and were finally rewarded, ten minutes from time, with a goal of exceptional technical ability when Britt Shidaker drove a powerful, curling corner kick directly into the net.
Jen Hull - 3 Shootout Saves!
With neither team able to add to their goals tally the game went into two 15 minute overtime periods. The competitive spirit of both teams never wavered but with ten minutes to go in the final 15 minutes, the Pride took the lead when Ashley Stewart was rewarded for her hard work rate with a well placed shot from close range on an assist by Melissa Purvis. Back came LO five minutes later with a super headed goal at the near post after a quality cross. In the final minutes of overtime the Pride had the best chances to put the game beyond Sting's reach but Shelby Cratree blazed a 25-yarder just over the bar, Katie Wopat's turn and shot was smothered, and Saraid Faville's close-range effort was scrambled off the line by the LO keeper.
With the teams still deadlocked after overtime, the game was finally decided with penalty kicks. Cassidy Temple, Saraid Faville, Shelby Crabtree, and Erica Porter scored for the Pride. Enter Jen Hull, the Pride keeper. While the Pride found the woodwork on two of their 6 penalties, Jen saved three of LO's. "She was simply awesome," says Pride Assistant coach Bob Duncan. "She guessed right on all but one shot, and not only did she make three saves, but she actually held on to each one. It's no more than she deserves though. She does extra keeper sessions every week and always works exceptionally hard when training. What a performance!"
The performance of the Pride defense and midfield also came in for some special praise from Head Coach Tom Rowney. "We don't usually give much away at the back but we knew that LO's forwards were very mobile and quite a hand-full. With Kellen (Todd-Quinn) not able to play through injury, we were left with few options but I thought Libby Johnson, Erica Kilbourne, and Cassidy Temple had a fantastic game." When Kilbourne was carried off the field with an overtime injury, center midfielder Christie Spear had to cover as sweeper. "We had discussed all the options prior to the game and Christie was chosen to cover that role if needed. What a game to have to switch into an unfamiliar position, but she did extremely well."
I can't speak highly enough of our midfield players. It wasn't the kind of game where they were likely to demonstrate the creativity they're more than capable of, but they stuck to the game plan. Their concentration and commitment was flawless. Kristen Keiser won virtually every header that came her way (and some that didn't) and Naomi Baez, Shelby Crabtree, Britt Shidaker and Christie Spear showed great composure under pressure, and our wide players, Liz Young and Erica Porter worked very hard going both ways."
This was the third year (in a row) both teams had faced each other in the State Championship game. The Pride had previously beaten the Sting by a score of 2-1 in 1998 and 1999. "This was a game that neither team should have lost. Both teams played with a passion and commitment befitting a champion. Both came back from being a goal down, and not a single player on either team backed away from the competitive nature of the game" says Tom Rowney, the Pride Coach. "I can sympathize with LO, but I couldn't be more proud of our girls."
It seemed like before the game, everything that could go wrong did. "Britt Shidaker who has been with our team since the very beginning had a nightmare buildup. She contracted mono early in the season, had her uniforms stolen from her car two days before the final and couldn't fully train the week before the game after injuring her Achilles and contracting the flu. It was amazing she could perform so well let alone score a goal of such quality.
"In a preliminary game, we lost Todd-Quinn to a knee injury which left us very short in defensive options. Cassidy Temple was sick all week which left me wondering if we would be able to put enough defenders on the field. Then, to top it all off, right before the final, Ashley Stewart was struck on the side of the temple with a powerful but errant shot from a boy's shooting warm-up that was taking place on an adjacent field. How she recovered to play so well I'll never know.
"Given what we went through to get here, everyone had to dug so deep for this one. They should be very proud of what they have accomplished. To win one State Championship is difficult enough. To win four in a row is a fitting testament to their commitment, work ethic and desire!"
Uncharacteristic mistakes, a lack of intensity and a very solid performance by their opponents cost the FC Willamette Posh their second state title in 3 years after a 0-3 loss to the Lake Oswego Fushion in Saturday's State Championship game. While the game started fairly evenly two early mistakes allowed the Fushion to get off to a great start. Their third came 10 minutes into the second half.
"We simply didn't have our game today," says Posh assistant Casey Wahlstrom, "and we didn't start to play with our normal quality until we were three down and a comeback at that stage would have been difficult for any team.""
It was a very disappointing overall performance," says Tom Rowney, Posh's Head Coach. "Such mistakes were uncharacteristic of our team. It was just one of those days. In soccer I'm a great believer that on the day, you get what you deserve, and today we didn't really deserve much. Having great technical ability is one thing, but in the big games the psychological side is important too! But we're a young team and still learning. I'm confident we'll learn from this and come back even stronger."