Sports

Sports Beat | Tides win rematch of state’s top-ranked soccer teams

Thanks to a thrilling late goal by Karin Heikkila, Gig Harbor (12-0-3, 8-0-2 Puget Sound League) beat Central Kitsap (13-2-1, 7-2-1), 2-1, in a matchup of the first- and second-ranked Class 3A girls soccer teams on Thursday, Oct. 23, at Roy Anderson Field.

The win clinched the Puget Sound League Narrows Division championship for the Tides.

And since Peninsula (11-3-1, 10-0) wrapped up the Nisqually Division championship Thursday, the rivals will meet at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at Roy Anderson Field for the Narrows League championship.

Gig Harbor and Central Kitsap previously played to a 1-1 tie on Oct. 7 in Silverdale. The Tides were in control for much of that game before Central Kitsap tied it with a goal in the game’s final minutes.

The Tides were No. 1 and the Cougars No. 2 in the WIAA RPI rankings before that game. The two swapped places after the draw and CK has remained in the top spot by a percentage point since, giving the Tides extra motivation Thursday.

Louden put Tides ahead

Both teams have exceptional defenses and goalies, and Thursday’s game remained scoreless at halftime.

Gig Harbor struck first on junior midfielder Anne Louden’s unassisted goal. The Tides shortened their field and looked to defend their lead while the Cougars turned up the pressure.

The Gig Harbor High School girls soccer team.

Central Kitsap tied the game after a corner kick in the 67th minute. A high-lofted ball landed in a sea of players before a Cougar blasted a shot past goalie Carsyn Tovey.

Gig Harbor saw this movie a couple weeks ago and couldn’t stand the ending. The Tides gathered at midfield but didn’t say much as their intense stares communicated the message.

The senior-dominated Tides fired five shots on goal and three corner kicks in the next 10 minutes.

Heikkila’s strike

Gig Harbor features Heikkila and forward Elizabeth Hayes, who will both play NCAA Division I soccer next year. It figured that those two combined to put the Tides back in front despite a physical Central Kitsap defense.

Hayes out-hustled a CK defender to a ball and passed to Heikkila, who had a step on two Cougars. Heikkila faked a shot with her right foot and connected with her left, beating the CK goalie for the biggest of her 17 goals this season.

She was clearly near exhaustion after the game.

“My calves were on fire there at the end. I’m not really sure how I got to that one,” Heikkila said. “Our team is full of seniors, we really wanted to win the division title and get our No. 1 state ranking back. I may have scored the last goal, but this was a total team win. Everyone pitched in and gave the biggest fight of their lives.”

Tides coach Robyn Saathoff said her stomach was in knots the whole game.

“We really gutted this game out tonight. I’m proud of how they worked together,” she said. “When they scored the tying goal, it was the turning point for us. The intensity level went way up, we just didn’t back down.”

“Our team’s mentality is really about getting wins and to try to play our best,” senior midfielder Sage Sturrock said. “When they tied it, we were surprised but we just went on the attack until we got that goal.”

Peninsula waits in title game

The Tides get a 48-hour break before they need to crank up the intensity dial again for the Puget Sound League championship game against their cross-town rivals.

Peninsula locked up the Nisqually Division title with a 5-0 smashing of Capital in Olympia on Thursday, Oct. 24. The Seahawks have been hoping for a rematch since losing to the Tides, 6-1, on Sept. 18.

The Peninsula girls soccer team celebrates a goal. Photo by Peninsula High School soccer

Senior Nora Sutherland leads Peninsula with 16 goals and will probably repeat as Nisqually Division MVP. Maya Rogers and Ella Coates both scored nine goals this season.

Peninsula tore through the Nisqually Division since the loss to Gig Harbor, outscoring division opponents 48-4. The Seahawks are No. 10 in the WIAA RPI rankings and played Central Kitsap close in a 1-0 loss on Sept. 16.

Tides edge Seahawks at Swimvitational

The Swimvitational may be held at the Olympic High School pool near Bremerton, but this year’s version was very Gig Harbor-centric.

Gig Harbor edged Peninsula by just a single point at the meet on Oct. 18, with the final race of the night determining the champion.

Kaitlyn LaTendresse of Gig Harbor set a new school record in the 100 backstroke. Photo by Mike Kelly

That final event was the 100 backstroke, in which Tides senior Kaitlyn LaTendresse broke a 29-year-old school record to win in 58.89 seconds. Jackie Lobdell held the previous record of 59.33.

Both local teams compete at the Puget Sound League championships on Friday, Oct. 24, at Mount Tahoma. Gig Harbor freshman Jane Jackman won the league diving championship on Oct. 23 with a score of 409.10.

Gig Harbor freshman Janet Jackman won the Puget Sound League diving championship. Photo by Mike Kelly

League tennis tournament

Peninsula sophomore David Ghazaryan finished second at the Puget Sound League tennis tournament this week at Silas High School, losing the title match to Mount Tahoma senior Merlin Ly.

Ghazaryan, a sophomore, will take his excellent ground strokes and reliable serve to the district championships at the Boeing Tennis Center on Oct. 31.

The Gig Harbor doubles team of Avery Svabenik and Holling Svabenik, freshmen twins, placed fifth at the PSL tournament and also head to districts.