About 10 minutes before their Class 1A district playoff game Tuesday night, the members of the King’s Way Christian girls soccer team were ready to go.
“We were locking in,” sophomore Jasmine Carney said.
And then the stadium lights went out.
“First, it was a little scary,” sophomore Shaylie Haij said. “But it was a good regrouping and resetting moment. We took a little jog and tried to keep our heads in the game. … It was a little different because you’re literally can’t see the ball.”
After a brief delay, the stadium lights returned. And then the Knights turned the lights out on Rochester.
Carney fed Haij for a goal in the second minute, and Haij would go on to score three more goals as the Knights routed Rochester 6-0 in a first-round game.
“That’s kind of been our bread and butter this year — to come out with more energy than them,” King’s Way coach Ellie Townsend said. “Find the back of the net early and get those heads down. It’s always a great way to start a game.”
The defense got a quick counter and fed the ball up the left side to Carney, who found Haij open in the middle field. Then Haij finished, as she’s done so often this year.
“It’s really good to have Shay in the middle,” Carney said. “Just both of us getting ball up top, short ones that we can cross into the middle.”
Haij said: “I think it was totally just a team effort. We came out and we were just hungry for goals. We just connected well to put it in the back of the net.”
While Haij has been scoring the bulk of the goals this season for the Knights, the sophomore said King’s Way is at its best when whole team is playing as one.
“We have words that are our core values,” Haij said. “Family is the biggest thing. And how can we have everyone with their heads up, how can we connect well, teamwork. … Passion. We’re passionate about the game.”
Townsend said the while the roster is young, many players have been on the team since their eighth-grade season.
“We’ve had a great foundation the last two years on which to build,” Townsend said. “They’re just a really energetic, fun, hungry team.”
Haij added her second goal in the 24th minute, then converted a free kick right before halftime to make it 3-0.
She added her fourth goal in the 59th minute, on an assist from Addison Bagley.
“Shaylie’s been huge for us this season,” Townsend said. “Definitely one our core players. She can find the back of the next herself, but also is dishing it off and often finding people who are open. She creates space because she draws defenders, and she’s able to slip balls to people around her. It’s great to be about to have the core midfielder, but then also to have the talent around her is awesome.”
Carney finished off the scoring with a pair of goals.
King’s Way Christian advances to play at Montesano on Thursday in the district semifinals with a chance to secure a state berth.
“I feel like we’ve earned this,” Carney said. “I feel like coming together as a team and getting through all the teams that we need to get through and working so hard.”
