After a tumultuous September in which the Tomahawks overcame modest prognostications for their season only to struggle with the heightened expectations, the Tommies have thrown it all out and are just taking the rest of their season one game at a time.
It has proven fruitful.
The girls kicked off the month with a win in a rematch against Everett,
Oct. 2 and won the next three games, culminating in an Oct. 11 win over Monroe.
M-P had all the offense it needed in the first half.
Senior Kassandra Riozzis attack in the sixth minute was stopped in the goal by a Monroe defender. But less than two minutes later, Riozzi set the ball for forward Melissa Lauer and this time it rolled in.
For another 20 minutes, the Tommies assaulted the Bearcat goal with several ridiculously close attempts. Two attacks bounced off the top of the goal before senior midfielder Rebecca Muscatell extended the Marysville lead to 2-0 off another Riozzi assist. It was Muscatells first goal of the season.
Late in the second half, Riozzi got a goal of her own off a penalty kick to go up 3-0. With about a minute left in the game, Monroe ended the Marysville shutout, scoring on a penalty kick.
The win over Monroe puts M-P in good shape for the rest of the season. Not only did the game secure them a playoff berth, but one more win in the next three games gives the Tommies a first-round bye.
The one-game, one-win philosophy has the girls focused very much in the present. M-P coach Geoff Kittle calls each game an opportunity. And with an 8-3-2 record, the Tommies have a lot of opportunities before them.
The 1995 and 1996 teams went 8-6, and thats the best record that a team has had here at M-P. So the girls want to get the next win so they can have the best record here at M-P, Kittle said. If we beat Arlington and Oak Harbor, then we can say that weve beaten everybody in our league except (undefeated) Snohomish this year.
The teams success has buoyed the players spirits, he added.
I think two years ago, we were losing to Monroe 5-0. Some of the girls that are on the team that were varsity then can remember being on the other end of the game, so its nice to see that its kind of turned around and we have a taste of what they were doing to us, Kittle said. Its nice to see that they have a lot of energy, and they dont want the season to end anytime soon.