By Doug Drowley
Special to The Seattle Times
SHORELINE - It all went sideways early for Lakeside (9 Mile Falls) in the 1A girls state soccer semifinals on Friday afternoon.
Playing the first of the two semis at Shoreline Stadium, Lakeside gave up two goals in the first 15 minutes and Klahowya made them stand up in a 2-0 victory. Klahowya will play King’s, a 1-0 winner over University Prep on Friday, for the 1A title Saturday at 2 p.m.
Lakeside plays University Prep at 10a.m. for third and fourth places.
“We have one last game this season,” Lakeside coach Chris Windham said. “We get to come out and try to get a win out of the weekend.”
Klahowya created chances early and often.
Senior forward McKenzie Cook dictated play on the offensive end for Klahowya. Her run down the right inside line of the 18-yard box created the visiting Eagles first goal.
Cook tapped the ball forward and caught up to it just off the end line. A quick crossing ball found Danni Antoldi just inside the left post at the goal mouth.
Antoldi tapped it in for a 1-0 Klahowya lead with 31:35 to play in the first half.
“It’s funny in these state games," Windham said. “You come out and attack, and can find yourself ahead in the first 10 minutes, or behind in the first 10 minutes. I think there were some nerves and we were hesitant is what happened today."
And Cook wasn’t finished.
She pounded a crossing pass into the box off a free kick from 25 yards with just over 25 minutes left in the half. Her teammates got blocked off nicely by the Lakeside defenders, one of whom raised a leg and caught the ball square.
But, the ball was redirected back rather than forward and softly hit the back of the net for an own goal against the home-standing Eagles, who took a 2-0 advantage at 25:05.
“We heard about her," Windham said. “We knew. The last two games we dealt with players similar to her and did very, very well. The speed of the turf today, she had a little more freedom and space."
Late in the first half Cook executed maybe her prettiest play of the half. Just prior to halftime, the senior took a Klahowya corner kick from the left side.
She curled a ball high and dropped it into the net at the top right corner for an apparent third goal for Klahowya. But the visiting Eagles were called for a foul in front of the goal that kept it 2-0.
It wasn’t until 10 minutes into the second half that Lakeside finally generated a few good offensive chances.
“The main thing, we’re so used to grass,” senior Callie Best said. “This turf was pretty fast.”
Best had the best chances for Lakeside in the second half. From her midfield position, she was able to attack down the middle of the field.
At 29:47 of the second half, she came within a yard of getting to a ball before Klahowya keeper Taylor Reuter wrapped herself around it nine yards in front of the goal. It was so close, Best went tumbling over Reuter to the turf.
Two minutes later, Best again was free in the 18-yard box, but only for a moment. She got a shot off, but it went right to Reuter at the left corner of the goal.
“It didn’t quite feel like our normal attack,” Best said. “Definitely, the goal is always to win a state championship. But getting to play together, having one last trip ...”