Defeating Snohomish on their home field for the first time in 13 years was a huge accomplishment. Shutting the Panthers out for the second time this year was priceless for the Oak Harbor girls soccer team.
“It feels really nice,” head coach Gretchen Hanson said.
Using a timely offensive attack and a suffocating defense, the Wildcats blanked Snohomish 3-0 Tuesday night at Memorial Stadium. Oak Harbor, who now has nine shout outs in 11 games, also beat Snohomish 2-0 on Sept. 11.
When was the last time the Wildcats beat Snohomish twice in one year?
Nobody really knows for sure.
“Good question,” Hanson said. “I can’t remember and I don’t know if anyone else could either?”
Regardless, the Wildcats showed no fear in their second opportunity at the Panthers. After allowing Snohomish the first shot of the game, Oak Harbor quickly turned things around.
Making a break down the field, senior midfielder Jenny White crossed the ball to the center of the 18-yard box where she found senior forward Gretyl Pruss. Controlling the ball in the box, Pruss worked her away around the goal keeper and nailed the ball in the back of the net for a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute.
“She had a really nice cross,” Pruss said. “Jenny made me look good, she made the whole team look good.”
White had three assists on all three Wildcat goals.
“We produced by seeing the weak side of the field and the third man runner,” Hanson said. “I don’t think we’ve done that as well in any other game than tonight. Jenny White with three assists proves that.”
Only three minutes after the first goal, White connected with senior midfielder Kari Goebel on almost an identical play to the previous score. Goebel took the pass out high and drilled it past the keeper for a quick 2-0 lead.
In an aggressive display, Oak Harbor kept the ball at the Snohomish end almost the entire first half. Whenever the ball did cross into Wildcat territory the defense found the answer.
“They (the defense) did exactly what they were supposed to do,” Hanson said. “They held when they needed to hold and they went forward and pushed and held the other team in a small amount of space when they needed to.”
Oak Harbor continued their offensive attack in the first two minutes of the second half, getting off three shots that were just off the mark. White eventually found Pruss one more time in front of the goal. She turned with a left-footed shot, nailing the ball just inside the left post at the 45th minute.
The Oak Harbor offense disappeared after their third goal, but the play of goal keeper Devon Shulock helped maintain the shut out.
Shulock, who shares time with junior Sheena Paddock, made multiple diving saves late in the second half. Unofficially with five saves, Shulock made two spectacular stops in one-on-one situations.
“Both Sheena and Devon played amazingly well tonight,” Hanson said. “Sheena with demanding drops and Devon with two amazing saves to keep the shutout.”
Oak Harbor 4, Arlington 0
The Wildcats picked up their ninth shutout of the season in a 4-0 victory over Arlington Thursday night.
Four separate Cats scored, including Pruss, White, junior Cassie Connolly and senior Tina Nicolas.
Now at 9-0-2, Oak Harbor is alone in first place, three points ahead of Cascade and four ahead of Snohomish.
The Cats will take on Marysville-Pilchuck at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 14 at Memorial Stadium. The Tomahawks are one of only two teams in the WesCo North to not take a loss at the hands of Oak Harbor. The two teams battled to a scoreless tie on Sept. 18.
