Wahluke upsets Knights at Royal City

ROYAL CITY — The Wahluke Warriors (12-6) defeated the Royal Knights (13-4) 1-0 on Tuesday after outdueling them in overtime penalty kicks. It was a physical game from the beginning; Warriors head coach Cele Lopez said he was proud of the way his players stuck through it. 

“It's a really good feeling, especially for them. I'm really happy for the team because they believe in the message, and I'm really grateful to see them fighting hard. As a coach, that's what you want to see,” he said.  

Both halves were identical in back-and-forth competition. The Warriors and the Knights did not back down from each other as they battled for control of the ball. Oftentimes, players fell to the ground in the midst of these clashes.  

The Knights were able to find opportunities to take shots on goal or kick corner kicks, but were ultimately unable to capitalize on them.  

“This is how soccer goes sometimes. We had several times (with) the ball going across the front of the net, goalkeepers on the ground, we can't find it, ball is played to people wide open and six yards out, and if you don't score, that's it,” Knights head coach Jens Jensen said.  

After two halves of scoreless competition, they went into overtime. During the second half, the Warriors lost Alexandra Rodriguez after she rolled her ankle. However, she was able to return in time for overtime.  

Rodriguez said she was motivated to return to the field to help her teammates finish the game.  

“I just wanted to get back on the field, because I needed to help all my teammates. I wanted to try for my teammates and also for my seniors, also just because it's Royal, the rivalry there... you've got to win,” Rodriguez said.  

They first played two periods, shortened to five minutes each. The Knights mostly controlled the ball and made pushes toward the goal, but the Warriors were able to hold them off. The game remained 0-0 after two overtime periods, and it would come down to penalty kicks.  

Each team had five chances to complete a penalty kick; the team that misses the fewest comes out with the victory. The Knights’ Maggie Frank started off the duel with a successful kick. The Warriors responded and tied the game. Next, Grace Soliz took a shot for the Knights but missed.  

From there, the Warriors took the lead and all they needed to do was keep scoring. However, their goalkeeper blocked the Knights' fifth shot attempt to seal the win. Rodriguez said the win felt amazing, and she remembered how they fell short last year and how that impacted the seniors then.  

“This could have been our last game, and obviously, as a sophomore, I know that one day that's going to be me, and I wish that my teammates, when it comes to that they also push through,” she said.  

Before the season, Lopez said this team expected to face some obstacles with how young they were in terms of experience. Just a few months later, they are one game away from earning a bid to the 1A state tournament.  

He said they showed a lot of growth over the course of the season. Once the Warriors found their rhythm and played with more grit, they realized anything was possible.  

“They showed that today. We can compete. It was really good to see them with that fire,” Lopez said.  

For the Knights, this loss means their season is over. Jensen said they had a good season despite the disappointing end. However, looking ahead to next season, he feels the future is bright for their program.  

“We had several seniors out there, obviously starting and played a lot of minutes. I think we have girls that will be able to come in and fill those holes. We're going to miss those seniors just for their character and for the people that they are. When it comes down to it, the future looks bright,” Jensen said.

Since the Warriors are the fifth seed, they will play first-seed Lakeside on Nov. 8 at Royal High School at 3 p.m. Rodriguez said the key to securing the win is coming into it with a strong mindset.  

“Before this, we had a good practice, and I feel like it contributes to the way we played today. I feel like (we) just got to grind at practice, and obviously mentally as well before the game,” she said.  

BOX SCORE:  

WHLK: 0-0-0-0-4: 1
ROYL: 0-0-0-0-3: 0 

    Briseydi Pacheco (26) and Cindy Madrigal (8) mark up before the ball is passed back into play on Tuesday.
  

    The Knights’ Hali Christensen (21) applies defensive pressure to Yaira Gonzalez (19) during their district tournament game on Tuesday.
  

    Wahluke’s Alexandra Rodriguez (14) looks for a pass option as the Knights’ Maggie Frank (14) chases after her.