A first-half penalty kick converted by Tumwater’s Kayla Pope was the difference for a 1-0 win against Ridgefield on Saturday in a showdown of top-10 Class 2A girls soccer teams.
The play occurred around the 28-minute mark after Tumwater’s Emalyn Shaffer and Ridgefield keeper Gabriela Semlick collided on a loose ball inside the box, resulting in a foul called against Ridgefield.
Tumwater (5-0), which came into Saturday averaging six goals per game, was otherwise held in check by a strong Ridgefield back line plus keepers Semlick and Tyler Merlock, each of whom collected two saves.
Ridgefield’s best scoring chance came in the 68th minute when Ellie Wilson dribbled around Tumwater goalkeeper Cheyenne Terry and took a shot on an open net. Tumwater defender Ali Woods stepped in front of the shot and headed it out of harms way. Officials stopped play briefly to discuss if the ball crossed the goal line, but ultimately determined the shot wasn’t a goal.