Not everything went according to plan for the Columbia River girls soccer team in its first match on the new turf field at Chieftain Stadium.
First, the lights went off at halftime, leading to a prolonged intermission.
In the second half, junior goalkeeper Allie Thompson and the Skyview defense turned the lights out on Columbia River’s offense.
Freshman Ellie Sjogren scored the game’s only goal and Thompson recorded eight saves in goal as Skyview opened its season with a 1-0 victory over the host Chieftains in a non-league match on Tuesday.
“Our freshman got the goal on her birthday,” Skyview coach Erika McManus said.
While River controlled most of the scoring chances early, Skyview turned the tide when Sjogren got a quick attack and punched the ball into the goal in the 21st minute.
“It took us a while to shake of those early jitters,” McManus said. “We talked about how there are some things you can’t control — like the lights going out. You just have to relax and play your game. We settled down and did that.”
Columbia River did everything it could to get that tying goal. Everything but score, that is.
“Give Skyview credit,” River coach Filly Afenegus said. “That got their chances and made the most of it. We had a billion chances, but just couldn’t find the back of the net. … I’ve been happy with how we’ve been playing so far, except for being able to finish.”
River was coming off a 0-0 draw with Mountain View on Saturday. The Chieftains, which have made back-to-back appearances in the 2A state title match, return a much younger squad with just six seniors on the roster.
But River still has talent, as the Chieftains kept the pressure on Skyview all match, and especially toward the end.
“Our defense held strong,” McManus said. “It was a good first game for us.”
Thompson was glad to get that first-half goal. It made her job easier, but she still had to focus on the job at hand.
“I made sure not to look at the clock,” Thompson said. “I did not want to know the time or score.”
Sjogren’s goal was the first for Skyview against River since a 2-1 win for the Storm in 2014. Since then, River had a pair of 1-0 wins over Skyview, plus a 0-0 draw.
Because of that, the final whistle sent the Storm into celebration.
“Yes, it’s been so long,” Thompson said of getting a win in this rivalry. “I didn’t get to play last year because I tore my ACL. So it’s good to be back.”
