It only takes one.
Mountain View girls soccer got a taste of a “true postseason experience,” coach Dustin Johnson said, and learned the hard way that a season of accolades, including a league championship and eight straight wins, means little when the calendar turns to November.
One defensive lapse, one poor half, one shot that missed just wide can put state hopes on the brink.
Lakes, out of Lakewood, clinched its first-ever 3A state berth with a 1-0 win over the Thunder in a 3A bi-district playoff game Tuesday at McKenzie Stadium.
The Lancers’ score came in the 31st minute when Morgan Emery headed home a Bella Hanna corner kick. It was all Lakes (13-2-3) needed.
“In postseason, you’re going to have very few chances,” Johnson said. “They had one chance and it was the one that went in. You really have to capitalize on it.”
Mountain View (13-4), after struggling to find its game in the dense fog the first half, dominated the final 30 minutes. Kylie Ellett, Alexis Sadler, Ellie White and Olivia Fothergill all generated opportunities.
In the 71st minute, White slid a shot from the top of the penalty area wide right. Moments later, Ellett flipped one inches wide left. In the 74th minute, Fothergill sent one just high.
Lakes was content sitting on its heels and defending. That almost came to a head in the 78th minute, when Lancer goalkeeper Mia Banner was whistled for a handball in the penalty area, an infraction only because she picked the ball up, put it at her feet and then picked it up again.
The ensuing indirect free kick slammed into a Lakes defender and deflected safely away.
“Really our backs were against the wall so we had to push numbers,” Johnson said. “They were pretty much playing for that 1-0 win, and we were unfortunate to be able to put one in.”
The Thunder turn to a winner-to-state, loser-out match against Prairie on Thursday to clinch a third state berth in the past four years. Mountain View won both meetings with Prairie this year, 2-0 and 1-0.
“Prairie is a very, very quality team,” Johnson said. “It will be a really, really good matchup with them.”
Prairie lost 5-0 to Gig Harbor on Tuesday as the Falcons seek their fifth straight state appearance. They were semifinalists a season ago.
