OLSTEDT'S LATE GOAL SALVAGES DRAW
Missing four starters due to various injuries and illness, the Seaside girls soccer team was able to limp to a 1-1 draw in their Special District 1 opening tilt against Yamhill-Carlton.
Marla Olstedt placed a strong left-footed shot into the side netting in the 74th minute of play and the Seagulls survived a couple of Yamhill attacks as the final whistle blew before the Tigers could get off one last corner kick.
The Tigers, coming off a surprising 2-0 win over perennial power Catlin Gabel, albeit a non-league counter, had a decisive shot and possession advantage in the game, but lost top forward Tera Prosser on the play that put their only score on the board.
Prosser beat a charging Seaside goalkeeper Becca Lent to a ball at the edge of the penalty box to score in the 58th minute. Unfortunately for Yamhill-Carlton, the resulting collision with Lent left Prosser hobbled with a knee injury. Helped off the field, she would not return, leaving one of the Tigers' most dynamic players on the sideline.
"When she came out, our defense had better control on the backline," said Olstedt, a 4-year varsity standout. "They were able to do what they wanted to do. They didn't have to play 4-on-1. So they could spread it out a little bit more. There was help in other places and they were looking up and knew where to get the ball."
Seaside, which struggled to maintain possession and continuity through the first hour of play, would respond with an offensive push that nearly netted the equalizing goal as sophomore April Cockroft, herself returning from an injury layoff, got an open run at the Yamhill goal in the 69th minute. The Tigers' goalkeeper, sophomore Dakota Apke, timed her charge well and tackled the ball off the foot of Cockroft before she could get a shot away.
"We got her back for thirty minutes and you saw the difference that makes," said Seaside head coach Dave Rouse of the athletic Cockroft. "We get all our players healthy and that will help a lot."
Five minutes later, following a Cela Sibley throwin from the right sideline, Cockroft hooked a pass to Olstedt, stationed about 15 yards in front of the left post. Olstedt had time to settle the ball and, with the keeper frozen in her sights, buried a strong diagonal shot inside the right post for the equalizing goal.
"It was a good game for us," said Olstedt. "A good boost in our self-esteem. We knew we had to play tough and that's what we did. A 1-1 tie was good for us. We're pretty excited."
All-league midfielder Esther Harder had a crack at a direct free kick in the 78th minute, but sent it over the crossbar. The strong-legged Yamhill junior also bent a beautiful corner kick deep in the box from the left side, but Lent came off her line to pluck the ball out of the air and avert the threat. Another late run up the middle by Yamhill-Carlton was snuffed by an offsides penalty and Sibley tackled a ball over the goal line just before the end-of-game whistle.
The Tigers had a 17-6 edge in shots on goal and Prosser alone outshot Seaside before getting injured. The Seagulls closed the gap in the second half with four shots to Yamhill's seven.
"We played a lot harder in the second half, there's no question about it," said Rouse. "I think there was a lot of nervousness in the first half. We kind of let them do things. We were making bad passes and just not making things happen. The second half we came out and played much harder, started fighting for balls and playing with some assertiveness. That's an issue for us."
Lent finished with nine saves in the match, while Apke had just one save.
The Gulls have managed to bang out a 5-1-1 record without once having all of their starters on the field. Stephanie Hanthorn, who has five goals on the season, was not in uniform and fellow starters Maya Dooley and Fawn Rhodes remained sidelined. Hanthorn has returned to practice and Coach Rouse hopes to have all three players back for Tuesday's game against Astoria. Brittney Cave remains out with an ACL injury and her return is questionable.
Marla Olstedt placed a strong left-footed shot into the side netting in the 74th minute of play and the Seagulls survived a couple of Yamhill attacks as the final whistle blew before the Tigers could get off one last corner kick.
The Tigers, coming off a surprising 2-0 win over perennial power Catlin Gabel, albeit a non-league counter, had a decisive shot and possession advantage in the game, but lost top forward Tera Prosser on the play that put their only score on the board.
Prosser beat a charging Seaside goalkeeper Becca Lent to a ball at the edge of the penalty box to score in the 58th minute. Unfortunately for Yamhill-Carlton, the resulting collision with Lent left Prosser hobbled with a knee injury. Helped off the field, she would not return, leaving one of the Tigers' most dynamic players on the sideline.
"When she came out, our defense had better control on the backline," said Olstedt, a 4-year varsity standout. "They were able to do what they wanted to do. They didn't have to play 4-on-1. So they could spread it out a little bit more. There was help in other places and they were looking up and knew where to get the ball."
Seaside, which struggled to maintain possession and continuity through the first hour of play, would respond with an offensive push that nearly netted the equalizing goal as sophomore April Cockroft, herself returning from an injury layoff, got an open run at the Yamhill goal in the 69th minute. The Tigers' goalkeeper, sophomore Dakota Apke, timed her charge well and tackled the ball off the foot of Cockroft before she could get a shot away.
"We got her back for thirty minutes and you saw the difference that makes," said Seaside head coach Dave Rouse of the athletic Cockroft. "We get all our players healthy and that will help a lot."
Five minutes later, following a Cela Sibley throwin from the right sideline, Cockroft hooked a pass to Olstedt, stationed about 15 yards in front of the left post. Olstedt had time to settle the ball and, with the keeper frozen in her sights, buried a strong diagonal shot inside the right post for the equalizing goal.
"It was a good game for us," said Olstedt. "A good boost in our self-esteem. We knew we had to play tough and that's what we did. A 1-1 tie was good for us. We're pretty excited."
All-league midfielder Esther Harder had a crack at a direct free kick in the 78th minute, but sent it over the crossbar. The strong-legged Yamhill junior also bent a beautiful corner kick deep in the box from the left side, but Lent came off her line to pluck the ball out of the air and avert the threat. Another late run up the middle by Yamhill-Carlton was snuffed by an offsides penalty and Sibley tackled a ball over the goal line just before the end-of-game whistle.
The Tigers had a 17-6 edge in shots on goal and Prosser alone outshot Seaside before getting injured. The Seagulls closed the gap in the second half with four shots to Yamhill's seven.
"We played a lot harder in the second half, there's no question about it," said Rouse. "I think there was a lot of nervousness in the first half. We kind of let them do things. We were making bad passes and just not making things happen. The second half we came out and played much harder, started fighting for balls and playing with some assertiveness. That's an issue for us."
Lent finished with nine saves in the match, while Apke had just one save.
The Gulls have managed to bang out a 5-1-1 record without once having all of their starters on the field. Stephanie Hanthorn, who has five goals on the season, was not in uniform and fellow starters Maya Dooley and Fawn Rhodes remained sidelined. Hanthorn has returned to practice and Coach Rouse hopes to have all three players back for Tuesday's game against Astoria. Brittney Cave remains out with an ACL injury and her return is questionable.
posted by Matt Richert at 11:13 PM
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