LA CENTER — Few opponents had put the La Center girls soccer team into uncomfortable positions this season.
Thursday’s 1A district semifinal game against Elma was quite a stress test.
Elma forced a tie in the waning seconds of regulation when Janessa Sample fired a straight-on, long-range shot that slipped through La Center’s grasp and into goal.
The moment could’ve easily deflated the Wildcats, but they were quick to move on.
Shaela Bradley scored the game-clinching golden goal via penalty kick in the first five-minute overtime period, giving the Wildcats a 3-2 win and most importantly, securing their place in the state playoffs.
“We needed to move past the mistake that we made and we needed to (boost) our teammates up again,” Bradley said. “All of us did a really good job with that, and we came with that mentality of, we got this, we’re going to do this and we’re going to play our hardest, even if we’re hurt.”
The game-winning penalty kick Bradley took was awarded following an Elma handball in the box.
It was the sophomore’s second PK of the game after scoring in the 73rd minute to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead. On the second walk up to face Elma goalkeeper Grace Koonrad, Bradley took her time before firing a low shot in the right corner.
“I was walking up really slow to it because I was freaking out inside,” Bradley admitted. “I had to calm myself down. And yes, I did go the other way (than the first penalty kick), but on this one I was thinking hard and low.”
Elma took a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute off a Beta Valentine free kick before Aaleigha Weld connected with a loose ball at point-blank range into the goal.
“Elma is great team, and they showed us that we had to wake up a little bit,” La Center coach Jon Groom said. “It was a little bit of a shock, you got to take your lumps and bruises every once in a while.”
The deficit was a rare one for the Wildcats, who outscored Trico League opponents 45-4 in seven games.
Less than five minutes later, however, Madisen Newbury lobbed in a cross toward the far post that Sadie Schmidt tracked down and shot over the outstretched arm of Koonrad with a trailing defender unable to stop the ball going in.
“Coming into this, I think we were a bit slow and our mindset wasn’t fully there. After that first goal, we had to refocus it,” Bradley said. “This was a good push for us we need to be more focused at practice, make sure our touches our better and work harder.
La Center will face Montesano, a 4-0 winner over Tenino on Thursday, in the district final Saturday at King’s Way Christian High School in Vancouver.
“Games, difficulties like this will only inspire us to be stronger in the future,” Groom said. “Tomorrow’s practice is going to be a lot of reflecting on what happened today. Especially as we approach districts and into state, our main goal is not to make the same mistakes twice and continue to grow.”
