Ephrata drops district title game
Ephrata drops district title game
Lady Tigers go into state tournament rounds in two spot
EPHRATA — The Lady Tigers, hosting Selah for the second time in 11 days, were defeated by the Vikings 2-0 in the finals of the CWAC District Tournament Saturday.
Ephrata, who beat Selah 1-0 to clinch the CWAC North title in the final game of the regular season, was unable to duplicate the feat in the league championship match.
The game was back-and-forth battle in the early going, with Selah and Ephrata alternating runs at the goal. While each team got their share of scoring opportunities in the game's first half, Ephrata's offensive attack lacked the intensity it had shown in other big games this season.
"We didn't come out strong, playing our game," said Ephrata coach Hillary Coomes of her team's tempo early on. "We were back on our heels playing defensively."
The Lady Tigers gave up a pair of first-half goals to fall behind 2-0 to the visiting Vikings.
Despite the slow start, Ephrata had a chance to get back in the game with eight minutes to play when a Selah defender was called for a hand ball in the penalty area.
Ephrata's Erin Laughlin lined up for the penalty kick, firing the ball toward the right side of the net. The Viking goalkeeper guessed right on the play, jumping into the path of the shot to make a critical save. The rebound bounced back toward Laughlin, who blasted the ball toward the goal, but the Selah keeper charged the play and smothered the shot just as it came off Laughlin's foot.
"I think that would have been the spark we needed," said Coomes of the opportunity to close within one goal the penalty kick provided.
Selah picked up the game's first goal in the 22nd minute, on a shot earned by the Selah player beating an Ephrata defender for the ball on a one-on-one near the left post.
The Selah player then sent a shot from the left side across the face of the goal and into the back, right corner of the net to give the Vikings the lead.
Moments into stoppage time in the first half, Selah scored their second goal on a breakaway down the right side and sent the shot across the goal into the left corner for a 2-0 lead.
Ephrata keeper Miriam Hall had 16 saves for the Lady Tigers, many of them on very dangerous Selah shots.
While the loss was a difficult one for the Lady Tigers, they must regroup quickly as the first round of the 2A state tournament begins Tuesday afternoon.
"It brings home the reality of what a loss can do to your season," said Coomes of the Selah loss.
"I've got girls that wear their hearts on their shoulder. They will play their best and bounce back very well," the Ephrata coach added.
Ephrata begins state tournament play this Tuesday, hosting Ridgefield at 4 p.m.
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