Meridian soccer seeks first trip to state semifinals since 2007

Meridian vs. Overlake

After getting a 1-0 victory over King’s Way Christian in the first round, the Meridian girls’ soccer team travels to face Overlake in the Class 1A state quarterfinals Saturday at Interlake High School in Bellevue. The Owls ended the Trojans’ season a year ago in the bi-district playoffs.

Time: 1 p.m.

Site: Interlake High School, Bellevue

Scouting the Trojans

Coach: Terri Tigert

League: Northwest Conference

District: Northwest/Sea-King (No. 3 seed)

Previous state appearances: 12 (15-13)

State titles: 1 (2008)

Meridian overcame a 250-mile drive to Vancouver and King’s Way Christian to grab a 1-0 victory in the first round of state Wednesday. Payton Lunde found Emily Kooiman on a corner kick 20 minutes in, and Kooiman was able to knock the ball inside the far post off her shoulder for the game’s only goal. Sydney Gospodinovich picked up the Trojans’ seventh shutout of the season and got plenty of help from defenders Emily Stuth, Victoria Melnyk and Kooiman in silencing the Knights’ attack. Overlake ended Meridian’s season in the bi-district tournament last year with a 2-0 loss. Meridian is seeking its first trip to the state semifinals since 2007, when it won the 1A state title.

Scouting the Owls

Coach: Sally Goodspeed

League: Emerald City

District: Northwest/Sea-King (No. 2 seed)

Previous state appearances: 17 (14-17)

State titles: None

Overlake beat Klahowya 3-0 in the first round of the state playoffs on Tuesday. Jaquelin Nordhoff and Smith Hunter each scored a goal for the Owls in the first half, and the Owls added a Klahowya own goal in the second half. Goalkeeper Julia Nobel got the shutout. Fifteen of the Owls’ 17 victories this season have come by shutout. Their only loss came 1-0 against King’s in the 1A bi-district championship game Nov. 5. Hunter has 18 goals and eight assists this season, while Alex Hobbs has 12 goals and nine assists. Meridian and Overlake have met once before in the state playoffs – a 2011 first-round meeting the Owls won 3-2.

This story was originally published November 12, 2016 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Meridian soccer seeks first trip to state semifinals since 2007."