HS Soccer: Eatonville Outlasts Tenino in Defensive Battle

10/10/23

Eatonville 1, Tenino 0

(Tenino, WA) Tuesday night marked the end of the first round of league play in the Evergreen 1A conference for the girl’s soccer season. There was still plenty to be determined especially in the case of second place in the standings. The Eatonville Cruisers traveled to Tenino with an opportunity to solidify themselves as the #2 team in the league. However, the Tenino Beavers had the opportunity to create chaos as a win for them would create a three-way tie for two playoff spots. A defensive battle was very evenly matched but one tough bounce was the difference. A hand ball in the 18 gave Eatonville a penalty kick and the Cruisers cashed in on it to earn the 1-0 win over Tenino.

Both defenses stole the show. For Eatonville, it was Ryan Stammen, Alexa Ricketts, and Caedence Dunn leading the charge defensively. Their counterparts were just as strong as Kendra Cutlip, Chloe Grayless, and Abby Robertson controlled the backline for Tenino. The difference in this one was a hand ball that gave Mary VanEaton a PK attempt in the 59th minute for Eatonville. VanEaton chipped one by the Tenino keeper for the goal and that was enough for the Cruisers. A late save on a corner by Tierney Amaral protected the lead and gave Eatonville the 1-0 win over Tenino in a very evenly matched game.

Our Thorbeckes MVP of the match was Eatonville’s Ryan Stammen. Not only did Stammen lead the defensive charge to the tune of a shutout victory, but the senior also took the set pieces and turned them into opportunities for the Cruiser offense. While those set pieces didn’t lead to anything, they were perfectly placed kicks and she also won some one-on-one battles defensively to shut down any Tenino counters.

With the win, Eatonville sits in second place in the EvCo 1A with an overall record of 6-3-1 and a league record of 3-1. The Cruisers will next play a non-league match on Thursday when they visit the Rochester Warriors. Tenino drops to 7-5-1 overall and 1-3 in league play while sitting in 4th in the EvCo 1A. The Beavers will have a very tough task on Thursday when they host the league leading Montesano Bulldogs.

You can catch the entire match on the NFHS Network in the link below. Also below is our postgame show and the lone goal of this match.

Tenino vs Eatonville – Girls Varsity Soccer 10/10/2023 | Live & On Demand (nfhsnetwork.com)