PUYALLUP — Sophomore Ellie Walker was in the right place for one goal and hit a perfect shot for another on Saturday as the Columbia River girls soccer team capped another successful season with a win.
The Chieftains beat Bellevue 3-1 to capture the third-place trophy in the Class 3A girls soccer state tournament at Sparks Stadium.
Freshman Jessica Allen also scored for River, which finished the season 17-3-2.
“This is the last time we get to play with each other, so we might as well go hard. Third is better than fourth,” senior Mari Chopp said, explaining how the Chieftains bounced back from a disappointing loss in Friday’s semifinals.
Chopp assisted on Allen’s goal, which put River up 1-0 in the 12th minute of the match.
Bellevue tied it with a penalty kick in the 19th minute. Noelle Mitchell converted after Ellie Bryant was fouled in the box.
Walker scored in the 27th minute, collecting a loose ball in the penalty area and putting Columbia River ahead to stay. The ball deflected off of River’s Marion Lilly and Walker had an open net.
Walker’s second goal was a left-footed shot from about 20 yards. She fell after striking the ball that sailed over the goalkeeper into the right-side netting. Lilly touched the ball onto Allen with the Chieftains on a counter-attack, and Allen was able to spin past a defender to get off the shot.
“That one hurt a little bit,” Walker said of the shot. “The inside wasn’t open, so I had to turn wide and shoot with my left foot and I just hit it right.”
A day after watching a one-goal lead disappear in the second half against Southridge, the Chieftains didn’t let the Wolverines have any real chances in the second half on Saturday. They did it without senior Taylor Hallquist, who made the decision to rest a sprained ankle that hobbled her throughout the playoffs.
Chopp helped by marking Bellevue’s dangerous Jojo Harber — who did not get a shot off in the match.
“I just knew I wasn’t going to let her get by and the (physical play) motivated me more and more,” Chopp said.
This was the second trip to the final four for Chopp and several of her fellow seniors. Two years ago they left Puyallup as state champions. This time, a third-place trophy was something to smile about.
Walker said River has the kind of family culture that figures to make the Chieftains contenders to return to the final four in the future.
“We’re going to lose a lot of seniors, but I don’t think it will matter,” Walker said. “We always have really good chemistry.”
COLUMBIA RIVER 3, BELLEVUE 1
Bellevue (18-2)
Goals — Noelle Mitchell (PK), 19th minute. Goalkeeper saves — Brittley Gaan 0, Sam Friedman 4.
Columbia River (17-3-2)
Goals (assists) — Jessica Allen (Mari Chop), 12th minute; Ellie Walker (unassisted), 27th minute; Walker (Marion Lilly), 68th minute. Goalkeeper saves — Lilli Delgadillo 1.
Halftime — Columbia River 2-1
