M-P soccer escapes Cascade

MARYSVILLE The Tomahawk soccer team survived a second-half scare to secure a first-round bye in the playoffs and a place in M-P sports history, defeating Cascade 3-2.
What had appeared to be a repeat of M-Ps 3-0 thrashing of the Bruins in September ultimately proved to be anything but. In a tale of two different halves of the game, M-P once again came out to a 3-0 halftime lead in the Oct. 18 rematch. But this time, Cascade used good ball control to fight back, scoring back-to-back goals midway into the second half.
The Bruins were a threat to tie the game from their first goal in the 57th minute. From halftime on, Cascade had been passing the ball well up and down the field, culminating in a successful penalty kick with 22:34 remaining. Less than two minutes later, the ball rolled into the M-P net again.
It put a little fear into a Tomahawk team that was comfortable in its lead.
I think in the second half we came out playing like we had it in the bag, said senior striker Melissa Lauer, who scored the Tomahawks second goal a little over 10 minutes into the game. Lauer visibly responded to the Cascade threat, immediately upping the pressure on Bruin goalkeeper Brittany Greene.
After that, I had so much adrenaline. I was angry and wanted to get to the ball, she said, adding, Im really happy that the girls pulled it through. Scoring two goals back to back like that can get some teams down. We pulled through.
The Tomahawks other two goals came from seniors Hannah Wood in the first minute, and Tanessa Williams in the 31st.
M-P coach Geoff Kittle said he would like to see the girls play with more focus in the second half. All four of the goals the Tomahawks have allowed in October have come in the second half of the game.
We came out good at the beginning and put them under some pressure, Kittle said. It was just one of those things where we werent possessing the ball as well.
But the win was a win, and for the first time in the history of the girls soccer program at M-P, it was the teams ninth win of the season. The victory put the 2007 team ahead of 1995 and 1996 teams that finished 8-6 overall.
With regular-season games against Arlington and Oak Harbor still ahead of them, the Tomahawks have a chance to extend that school record. The girls have something else to play for the chance to beat the two teams they tied at the end of September.
We want to beat all the teams in the league once, Kittle said, excluding the undefeated Snohomish team who beat the Tomahawks in their two meetings this season.

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