LAKEWOOD The Lady Cougars were like Jekyll and Hyde in their two Cascade Conference games Oct. 3-5.
The girls soccer team managed only four shots against Sultan Thursday, Oct. 5, in a 2-0 defeat, a mere 48 hours after an exciting 3-2 shootout victory over a tough South Whidbey squad.
With the shutout loss to the host Lady Turks of Sultan (2-6-0 in league, 2-8-0 overall), Lakewood dropped to 4-4-0, 5-5-0.
Head coach Jeremiah Wohlgemuth said his team came out flat and without any conviction or passion.
Sultan on the other hand came to the game prepared to take on a foe they had lost to early this season, he said. Emily Steinborn made several fantastic saves and that was pretty much the only bright spot. They (Sultan) dominated most every facet of the game from the beginning to the end.
The Lady Cougars soccer team found out that it pays to work hard and set goals Tuesday, Oct. 3.
Trailing 1-0 against a visiting South Whidbey team that they hadnt defeated in three years, they went on to win 3-2 after 90 minutes of play and a tense shootout.
Lakewood improved to 4-3-0 in league play and 5-4-0 overall.
SW fell to 3-4-0, 5-4-0.
Junior forward Hayley Bustad knotted the score at 1-all 14 minutes into the second half.
The prolific scorer tallied another one with five minutes remaining in regulation, and it appeared Lakewood was headed for a come-from-behind 2-1 victory.
A Lady Falcon forward received a yellow card two minutes later after slide tackling a Lakewood defender, and the increased intensity level could be felt throughout Dick Cardinal Stadium.
With only 60 seconds remaining on the clock junior defender turned goalkeeper Steinborn made a valiant effort to stop a line drive shot from a South Whidbey forward.
Unfortunately for Steinborn and her teammates, she slipped on the wet grass and her stunned teammates could only watch as the ball fell into the net to tie the score at 2-all.
Steinborn was able to shake it off and made an athletic save two minutes into the first 5-minute sudden death overtime period.
Junior defender Jeneca Hoidal made a potentially game saving stop in the second overtime that would have left a one-on-one for South Whidbey against Steinborn.
One-two-three Cougars! the pumped up host team yelled before sending two groups of five shooters onto the field for the shootout.
After Steinborn blocked the first shot from SW junior Gracy Itaya, Bustad completed her unique hat trick to put the Lady Cougars up 1-0.
Hoidal found the back of the net to increase the lead to 2-1, and after SW took a 3-2 advantage junior midfielder Amanda Nunley switched the momentum back to the home team at 3-all.
SW sent senior Jennifer Shafer in for their sixth attempt and Steinborn made her third acrobatic save to fire up her teammates.
Wohlgemuth trusted his goalie with the game on the line and the junior delivered by nailing the 12th and final shot in the adrenaline filled shootout for a 3-2 victory.
Hoidal was like a little child at Disneyland for the first time while stumbling for words afterward.
I cant put this into words, she said with a huge smile. We wanted to win this game to get a better seed in districts. I feel like today I stepped up more than normal on the defensive.
Wohlgemuth was equally joyful and said it was a fantastic soccer game.
We got down 1-0 early and then got a nice goal from Hayley, he said. Emily was just devastated after they (SW) scored in the 79th minute. We pulled her aside and told her that you cant change what happens in the past. She looked us in the eye and told us she could shake it off. She made three beautiful saves and I think we played with a ton of heart.