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Overlake uses speed to get past Ridgefield

Spudders had not played a team this quick all season

By Paul Danzer, Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter
Published: November 10, 2010, 12:00am

KALAMA — Qualifying for the state tournament in 2010 was a significant step for the Ridgefield girls soccer team.

The Spudders learned Tuesday just how big the step up is to the state playoffs.

The Overlake School from Redmond dictated play through most of the Class 1A state playoff match, and the Owls made an opportunistic second-half goal stand for a 1-0 win at Kalama High School. The result advances Overlake (15-3-3) to the state quarterfinals. Ridgefield’s first loss ended its season.

The Spudders were unbeaten in 17 matches before Tuesday. They qualified for state this fall after missing out in 2009, ending a string of eight consecutive trips to the 2A state playoffs.

As a Class 1A school this season, the Spudders were unbeaten in rolling to the Southwest Washington title. But, as first-year coach Robby Trimbo noted, Ridgefield hadn’t been tested like it was on Tuesday.

“The frustration for us is that we don’t play against teams that play that fast, and it just leads to us chasing (the ball) and chasing and chasing,” Trimbo said. “That’s one thing we haven’t done all year.”

Ridgefield had several early attacks, including one that forced an Overlake defender to clear the ball from the goal mouth. But for the most part, it was the Owls who owned the ball and pushed the tempo.

Several stops by Ridgefield goalkeeper Corey Hanson, including a terrific breakaway save in the first half, kept the game scoreless until 15 minutes after halftime.

Taking advantage of a Ridgefield turnover in midfield, Adrianna Gildner made a strong run. She dribbled the ball to the top of the 18-yard box and slotting a diagonal pass to her left.

Quinn Phillips beat Hanson to the ball and pushed it past the Spudders’ keeper.

Trimbo took the blame.

The coach said he called instructions to one of his midfielders, and the distraction led to an errant pass that started the counter-attack that produced the Overlake goal.

There was no quit in the Spudders, but once Overlake had the lead there was little doubt about the outcome.

The Owls continued to dominate possession, using their speed and cohesive play to win most of the contested balls and force the Spudders to try low-percentage long passes.

For a Ridgefield team that is used to being the side dictating the terms of the match, Tuesday’s game was a tough turn of events.

“It’s pretty obvious we lost to a better team,” Trimbo said. “We fought as hard as we could. It just wasn’t enough.”

He said his team needed to play simple soccer, and play it faster.

“They are a very fast team that anticipates well, and we were too predictable and held onto the ball too long,” Trimbo said.

Overlake coach Sally Goodspeed praised Ridgefield’s effort, and said its midfield play caused problems, especially early in the match.

But she said playing in a competitive league had her side ready to respond.

“I think that our league does prepare us for this kind of situation, because we’re playing tough game every time we step on the field.

“I don’t think today was any different for us,” Goodspeed said. “It was another tough game on a tough schedule.”

For the Spudders, this wasn’t just another game.

It was a tough lesson about how high the bar is raised when the state playoffs begin.

It is a lesson Trimbo expects the younger players on this team to take to heart.

“I won’t let them forget it,” the Spudders’ coach said. “And I will remember how hard this team worked.”

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Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter