BOTHELL — The potential was there from the start for Union’s girls soccer team to have a season like this.
As 2019 progressed, junior goalkeeper Taylor Tinnon and her teammates began to believe.
“Everyday at practice,” she said, “you’d see us get better and better. We believed in ourselves more and more as the games went on.”
That got the Titans to this stage — Saturday’s 4A state quarterfinal against Inglemoor of Kenmore, a team from the state powerhouse 4A KingCo that’s had teams reach at least the state semifinals over the past decade.
Saturday, the Vikings’ 1-0 victory ended Union’s season at 12-4-3 at Pop Keeney Stadium, falling one win short of reaching the 4A state semifinals for the first time in program history.
“We wanted this really bad,” said Tinnon, who had three saves. “It’s hard, but there’s not a single person on this team who didn’t want to come here to win.”
Ashly Berge’s goal in the 18th minute off a cross to the left post proved to be the difference for the Vikings, who advance to next weekend’s 4A state semifinals. Before conceding that first-half goal, Union hadn’t allowed a goal dating back 12 games to 2-1 nonleague loss to Sumner on Sept. 21. The Titans also failed to allow a goal in 4A GSHL play on its way to going 8-0, and outscored opponents 28-0 on that 12-game shutout streak.
Head coach Kelcey Burris, the program’s head coach since the school’s inception in 2007, said this year’s Union defense is the best since the 2008 team that reached the 3A state quarterfinals. That year, the Titans had 16 shutouts and lost to eventual state champion Everett.
In a season that featured a 4A Greater St. Helens League title, 14 shutouts over 19 games, the Titans made 2019 memorable.
As strong as the senior class is, Burris also commended team captains Erin Beniga and Macee Woods for helping Union reach this stage — its third state quarterfinal berth — through their play and example, he said.
“They captured the hearts and minds of the program,” the coach said.
INGLEMOOR 1, UNION 0
Inglemoor
Goal — Ashly Berge. Goalkeeper saves — Teonni Gonzales 1
Union
Goalkeeper saves — Taylor Tinnon 3
Halftime score — Inglemoor 1-0
