Abby Rathbun scores twice; Moses Lake handles Sunnyside 4-0
Connor Vanderweyst/Columbia Basin Herald Moses Lake forward Abby Rathbun puts a shot on goal against Sunnyside.
Connor Vanderweyst/Columbia Basin Herald Moses Lake forward Madi Krogh (center) sends a pass between two Sunnyside defenders.
Connor Vanderweyst/Columbia Basin Herald Moses Lake's Morgan Skone has a shot saved and is tripped up by Sunnyside goalie Morgan Duim.
Connor Vanderweyst/Columbia Basin Herald Abby Rathbun (22) and Morgan Skone (12) congratulate after Cora Bruneel scores in the first half.
Connor Vanderweyst/Columbia Basin Herald Moses Lake's Jocelyn Rataezyk gets a head on the ball against Sunnyside.
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake transformed Lions Field from 100 yards of turf to about 50 Tuesday night against Sunnyside.
Possession almost exclusively belonged to the Chiefs, who scored twice in each half to win 4-0.
“We need to keep the pace up, but we need to keep that control and that consistency with us,” senior defender Cora Bruneel said.
Goalkeeper Abigail Rosenow spent much of the game standing between the two posts while her teammates bombarded the opponent’s goal.
Sunnyside’s only real attempt near Moses Lake’s goal was cleared by Allison Balsz and ended in a goal kick.
“It just gives the defense confidence after a couple three to nothin’ and four to nothin’ against Wenatchee and West Valley,” head coach Ric Char said. “It’s just good to get the defense back on track and give them confidence knowing that they are good enough to blank people and keep them scoreless.”
The Chiefs out-shot the Grizzlies a stunning 37-0.
The final score could have been much more lopsided if not for a handful of one-on-one saves — 11 total — by Grizzlies goalie Morgan Duim.
Duim denied two point-blank attempts by Madi Krogh, another by Abby Rathbun and stretched on her stomach to snatch a trickling ball from Morgan Skone.
“She was making some unbelievable saves so hats off to her and kudos to her because I’m sure her hands are pretty bloody by now,” Char said. “But we’ve got to learn to place balls in the back of the goal and not hit it right straight to her. Good for her, she made some great saves tonight.”
However, Moses Lake still scored early.
In the sixth minute, Rathbun lofted a header into the air that Bruneel charged and booted into the top shelf of the goal.
“I’m thinking I’ve got to score,” Bruneel said. “I’ve got to do my job outside. I’ve got to touch it and hopefully get a score or get it up again for somebody else to hit it in and I got my goal.”
Moses Lake added its second goal of the first half when Krogh was fouled by Kameran Rodriguez in the box. Denali Knowles beat Duim low and away on the ensuring penalty shot.
Taya Rogers found Rathbun for a goal less than a minute into the second half.
In the 63rd minute, Christina Mullan rebounded a corner kick by Skone into the air, which landed at the feet of Rathbun. Rathbun put a well-placed shot under a leaping Duim for Moses Lake’s final goal.
“Scoring these goals for her (Rathbun) gives her that confidence boost going into Eastmont, who’s going to be a tough play for us on Thursday,” Char said.
First half — 1, ML, Bruneel (Rathbun), 6:00. 2, ML, Knowles (Krogh), 25:00.
Second half — 3, ML, Rathbun (Rogers), 41:00. 4, ML, Rathbun (Mullan, 63:00.