Raiders hold off Eagles, 2-1, in showdown
Tue, 09/18/2007
Thomas Jefferson girls soccer head coach Wade Webber showed up for Thursday's showdown against Federal Way dressed in a black suit, a white shirt and a red tie.
If he was looking for good luck and a win, the ex-TJ and Seattle Sounders player got it in a 2-1 victory over the Eagles at Federal Way Memorial Stadium.
Webber pointed out another reason for wearing it to one of his players after the game, however.
"I'm trying to start a trend," he quipped.
The Raiders were definitely relieved to get the win no matter what the reason, after they watched an early 2-0 lead pared down to 2-1 with just over nine minutes left to play.
Ashley Brough, who scored the first goal of the game for TJ with 34 minutes, 25 seconds remaining in the first half, gave her reasons.
"It was kind of a group effort," said Brough. "It was a good team effort. Our main focus today was in the attack and taking advantage of it."
Brough, a senior midfielder for the Raiders, sparked the team with her goal with 34:25 left that led to a goal by senior forward Amy Pate. Pate took the ball near the mouth of the net on the right side and crossed it over to the open left side.
That put the score at 2-0 in favor of the Raiders going into the half.
But in between and second goal and the halftime whistle the Raiders' lost Molly Gebhardt and Amanda Brunner to injury. They will be out for an unknown amount of time.
"That was a game of survival more than anything else," Webber said. "They are the kind of injuries that are more than one night, and it could be serious."
Gebhardt was hauled away by a motorized stadium maintenance cart just after halftime.
"Both are seniors that we rely on," Webber said.
Federal Way put its score on the board with 9:04 remaining in the second half.
Junior Jacquie Evenson knocked in the score and just like that the Eagles were back in it.
But they could never quite get that goal as the clock wore down to the 2-1 final score.
"It was a good effort," said Webber. "We were undisciplined to start with."
Other players Webber's team are junior goalkeeper Liz Fitch, sophomore keeper/midfielder Megan Hilby, sophomore defender Sasha Nevin, sophomore forward Victoria Walsh, junior defender Kelsey Learned, senior Kendall Swynenberg, senior midfielder Sara Byrne, junior defender Jasmine Sharpe, senior defender Kaitlin Thomas, sophomore forward Hayley Albrecht, sophomore midfielder Mariko Hamashima and senior midfielder Mallory Murray.
"Mallory was running better than I've ever seen her run before," Webber said.
Lance Erickson serves as the assistant coach.
Federal Way graduate Jason Baumgardt is the Eagles' head coach.
Other Eagle players along with Evenson are sophomore Samantha Freed, senior Eleanor Johnson, senior Megan Stokes, sophomore Kendal Feider, sophomore Molly Campbell, senior Briana D'Aguiar, junior Paige Edmiston, senior Britni Racus, freshman Haley Ward, junior Megan Pinches, senior Ivannca Frerichs, junior Alleah Pac, sophomore Austin Rigned, sophomore Ashtine Rigney, sophomore Lydia Berger and senior Kaitlyn Keyes.
Baumgardt is assisted by Carli Nixon.