BY GERARDO BOLONG
Contributing Writer
Class 1A Seattle Christian and Class 2A Highline High School spent Saturday afternoon working out their respective girls soccer teams in a modified friendly match at Mt. Rainier High School on Sept. 15.
Agreeing to 30-minute halves, each congregation came away with positive results in anticipation of league play.
"Whatever happened, we accomplished positional defense without chasing after players and passed the ball on give and goes well," said a pleased Warrior head coach Micheal Hargett. "When they put their starters in at the start of the second half, the girls held up well."
Seattle Christian, playing with no substitues, opened up aggressively with strikers Allyson Wood, Anna Whitten and center outside midfielder Hannah Glynn pumping shots on goal within the first five minutes of match time.
Pirate goalkeeper Bianca Mercado made an exceptional stop on a Whitten left side blast within this time period.
During the next eight minutes HHS had a great opportunistic shot reverberate off the left post, but in the 15th minute, Glynn cleared herself to score a close-in left side goal that held up for a 1-0 Warrior lead at intermission.
"It felt good to score the first goal," Glynn said. "Getting in shape was important, too."
Highline entered their starters to begin the second half and really put the pressure on the SC defense. Opportunities abounded from Corrisa Stoneback, Britney Kinney and company. Again, the left post interfered with a possible HHS goal.
By the end of the abbreviated affair, the Warriors stayed on top, although the more important goal of each participant was readiness and healthiness for the league openers.
SC goalkeeper Kaitlyn Royal registered the shut out.
"Our team speed was apparent on both ends, especially the first 10 minutes of the second half," said Pirate head coach Eduardo Millan. "There's lots of potential and room for growth. The team is well rounded with good technical skills. It was nice being able to see all the players out there."
HHS had already played matches against Federal Way, Eatonville and a 1-0 win against Tyee.
On Sept. 19, Highline travels to South Sound Stadium for a league opening face off against River Ridge.
Seattle Christian travels to face University Prep on Mon., Sept. 18.
