Squalicum soccer wins district title

Many coaches will say the Northwest District is one of the best — if not the best — district in the state. It boasts both of last year’s state finalists and routinely places multiple teams in the semifinals.

Firmly at the head of District 1 is Squalicum girls’ soccer team.

The Storm have gone to four straight district title games and after topping Shorecrest 2-1 on Saturday, Nov. 7, have won three of those four.

“It’s so overwhelming,” Squalicum senior Kim Dorr said after the game. “I think we’re representing our school really well and we’ve worked so hard to get here.”

In the rematch of last year’s state and district championship games, Shorecrest again proved to be one of the few teams — and the first this season — to truly test the Storm.

But when Kendra Steele whipped in a cross from the wing and it skipped through the Scots’ defense, Kim Dorr was there to put the Storm on top.

“It’s super slippery today so I was just trying to anticipate the ball coming through in a lot of my runs,” Kim Dorr said. “When she had the cross I saw it coming straight through the defense and I had a feeling it’d get through. I just tried to settle it down and keep it low.”

Everything appeared to be going as planned for the Storm, which had a goal of coming out strong, until a bouncing ball over the top caught goalkeeper Rachel Runnalls in between and a Shorecrest player knocked it over her head. Rachel Dorr came in and tried to save it, but kicked it into the net to make it 1-1 just before halftime.

It was only the fourth goal allowed by the Storm this season and the first time Squalicum went to halftime without a lead.

“We felt they didn’t deserve it,” Squalicum coach David Kish said of the Scots’ goal. “I thought we controlled the whole half, we had more quality opportunities on goal, that that was a flubbed goal. ... I thought the girls responded. ... They were so pumped at halftime to go back out and take it back from them.”

And take it back they did.

Just 9 minutes into the second half, Kim Hazlett made a slicing run through the Shorecrest defense before laying the ball off to Payton Fowler at the 6-yard line. Fowler blasted it into the top of the net for the game-winner.

“All I was thinking was don’t put it over the goal,” Fowler said. “All I was thinking was getting it into the back of the net somehow.”

The Scots made their best effort late in the game to find an equalizer, even sending a shot off the upright, but Runnalls made a couple key blocks to secure the trophy.

“She made some phenomenal saves,” Kish said of his senior keeper. “We have a great defense but when she does get tested, she’s going to come up big.”

The Storm enter the Class 2A State Tournament as District 1’s No. 1 seed and will face Steilacoom, which topped White River 2-1 Saturday. The game will be played either Tuesday or Wednesday.

With only two wins needed to secure a fourth consecutive state semifinal berth, the Storm players are riding high.

“We’re feeling pretty good,” Fowler said. “We’re working really well as a team right now and it should be a fun ride the rest of the season.”

This story was originally published November 7, 2015 at 9:58 PM with the headline "Squalicum soccer wins district title."