Battling for the final spots via elimination games Saturday, the Chiawana (4A) Riverhawks, Mt Spokane Wildcats (3A) and Clarkston Bantams (2A) advanced to their respective state tournaments.
Regular season GNL champion East Valley, however, saw its season come to an end at home with a shootout defeat in the crossover match and the pair of 1A NEA sides, Freeman and regular season champion Lakeside, were eliminated from the postseason.
At the 2B level the defending state champion boys and girls sides of St George's booked return trips to the state tournament to defend their titles, but it was not easy. The girls trailed much of the game against local side Northwest Christian but eventually prevailed in overtime. The boys also rallied to post a victory in overtime.
In a game delayed from Friday's snow storm in Spokane, the 4A regional title was decided on Monday with top seed Central Valley playing host to five seed University. The Bears claimed the double with a relatively easy victory over their rivals, ending the Titans' postseason hot streak.
PLAYOFF RESULTS
Friday, November 3
2B Girls District Final - Northwest Christian 3-4 OT St George's
The defending state champion Dragons found themselves trailing by two in the first half with Tibbetts scoring four minutes in and Smith in the 34th for Northwest Christian. Lydia Berquist put St George's on the board a minute later but Frey scored a minute before the break to restore a two-goal gap for Northwest Christian. Cambrie Rickard cut the lead via Bergquist in the 49th and Bergquist tallied her second in the 50th to even things up. The two then went deadlocked for the remaining half-hour, sending the match to overtime where Rickard struck for the winner on an assist from Vera in the 89th.
2B Boys District Crossover - St George's 3-2 OT Trout Lake-Glenwood
Similar to the girls, the defending state champion Dragons needed to rally for the win to reach the state tournament. The hosts got on the board through Riley Alloway five minutes in, but Cade Peplinski evened things up just three minutes later. Things remained deadlocked until Reece Painter put Trout Lake back in front again in the 59th. Mitchell Ward, however, scored a huge goal with five minutes remaining to send the match to overtime, and then hit for the winner in the opening minute of extra time.
Saturday, November 4
3A Regional Second Seed Playoff - Mt Spokane 2-1 Southridge
The Wildcats nearly took the initial lead in the first half, but a saved penalty by goalkeeper Melissa Walace kept them off the board and allowed the Suns to in front on a Julia Patterson strike in the 23rd minute. Amber Hickman, though, tied things up with a penalty two minutes before intermission and went on to score the game-winner 13 minutes into the second half to give the Wildcats the second berth to the state tournament.
4A Regional Third Seed Playoff - Lewis & Clark 0-4 Chiawana
In recent games corner kicks were a key factor for the Tigers in their wins. On Saturday, however, corner kicks doomed them. Standout striker Summer Yates scored the opening goal four minutes in off a corner and a scrum on another one in the 25th ended with Macey Morales knocking the ball home. Morales then delivered a corner a minute before the break that Kylee Alvarez finished. A cross from JuliAnna Ventura on another corner in the 43rd was put away by Ruthie Edrington. Abby Whiston finished with the shutout, aided by a shot from the Tigers that rang off the left post.
2A Crossover Play-In - Clarkston 2-1 SO Ephrata
The Bantams became the second GNL side headed to the state tournament thanks to a 4-3 victory in the tiebreaker. Kaela Southwick scored five minutes into the second half to give Clarkston the lead. Thirteen minutes later Katelyn Ostowski evened matters for the hosts.
2A Crossover Play-In - Selah 2-1 SO East Valley
Kaitlin Harvey put the Knights in front with six minutes left in the first half on an assist from Chloe Gellhaus. The visitors tied it up on a goal from Kate Hazen in the 65th and managed to hold on to take to the game to a shootout despite being outshot 24-4. McKenna Myers made 23 saves for the Vikings, who advanced to the state tournament with the win in the tiebreaker after the match finished 1-1.
1A Crossover Play-In - Freeman 1-2 OT Cascade
Scoreless for over an hour the host Kodiaks got on the board in the 53rd minute on a set play tallied by Lauren Richardson and looked headed for the win when Lindsay Balkenbush tied things up for the Scotties two minutes from time. A controversial penalty in overtime put Cascade through to the state tournament when Ashley Parton converted four minutes into extra time.
1A Crossover Play-In - Cashmere 3-1 Lakeside
Details not available.
Monday, November 6
4A Regional Final - University 0-4 Central Valley
The Bears controlled play from the start, but it was not until Megan Robertson fed Maggie Ames two minutes before halftime to give them the lead in a contest delayed from Friday's snowstorm. Two minutes after the intermission Robertson scored a goal of her own. She made it a brace in the 61st and McKayla Claypool capped things with a goal in the 66th. AJ Crooks was rarely tested in playing the majority of the match in goal before giving way to Jenna Lauer in the shutout.
PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Tuesday, November 7
4A - State Rd 1 - Chiawana @ Wenatchee 5:00 Apple Bowl
3A - State Rd 1 - Mt Spokane @ Lakeside 5:00 Sammamish HS
3A - State Rd 1 - Mountain View @ Kamiakin 5:00 Lampson
2A - State Rd 1 - Port Angeles @ East Valley (Yak) 5:00 Earl Barden
1A - State Rd 1 - Cle Elum @ Deer Park 4:00 Spokane Falls CC
1A - State Rd 1 - Cashmere @ La Salle 6:00 Marquette Stadium
Wednesday, November 8
4A - State Rd 1 - Sumner @ Central Valley 4:00 Spokane Falls CC
4A - State Rd 1 - West Valley (Yak) @ University 6:30 Spokane Falls CC
2A - State Rd 1 - Lynden @ West Valley (Spo) 2:00 WVHS
2A - State Rd 1 - Clarkston @ Columbia River 6:00 Kiggins Bowl
2A - State Rd 1 - Selah @ White River 6:00 WRHS
1A - State Rd 1 - Kiona-Benton @ Cascade 5:30 Apple Bowl
Friday, November 10
B Boys - State Rd 1 - Life Christian Academy @ St George's 12:00 Gonzaga Prep HS
B Girls - State Rd 1 - Liberty Bell @ St George's 2:00 Gonzaga Prep HS
* Schedule subject to change
STATE BRACKETS
4A [+] 3A [+] 2A [+] 1A [+] 2B Girls [+] 2B Boys [+]
FINAL REGIONAL/DISTRICT BRACKETS (click for larger view)
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