When the Sumner High girls soccer squad hosted Archbishop Murphy in the Class 2A state quarterfinals at Sunset Chev Stadium Saturday, the soccer faithful who showed up from both camps definitely got their money’s worth as they watched a tandem of offensive-minded contingents going at it for 80 minutes of nonstop action.
In the end, Sumner saw its season come to an end with a 1-0 loss.
The Spartan booters, who easily captured the South Puget Sound League 2A crown with a 12-0 mark, encountered a mirror image of themselves – an aggressive crew constantly on the attack.
Fortunately for the Spartans they were blessed with defenders like Sarah Carter and freshman netminder Jaimie Lange, who was responsible for at least a half dozen shutouts in her maiden voyage in the Spartan goal.
Sumner finally relinquished a score with 17 minutes remaining in the wild affair. Archbishop Murphy’s Cali Crisler slammed a corner kick and senior midfielder Kelly Gould accurately knocked in the game’s only goal.
Last year’s SPSL 2A MVP, Sumner junior striker Kaylie Rozell, very nearly worked some of her magic to knot the game when she legged a fireball toward the Wildcat webbing with 12 minutes remaining. Her attempt sailed over the top of the goal and that proved to be the last, best chance for Sumner to tie.
Sumner earned its way into the quarterfinal bid against Archbishop Murphy when it squeaked out a 1-0 victory over Hockinson at Sunset Chev Stadium Nov. 8. The Spartans scored the meeting’s single tally with one minute remaining in the battle, when they staged an all-out assault on the Hockinson goalie. Rozell scuttled off an assist to senior midfielder and co-captain Megan Fenton, who rocketed in the difference maker for the clutch 1-0 Spartan conquest.
