WASHOUGAL — Participation numbers in the program have dwindled. Youth is evident across the roster. And yet, the Washougal girls soccer team is proving to be a resilient group just a couple weeks into the 2024 season.
The Panthers’ fourth win in five games Tuesday was a prime example.
After surrendering an equalizing goal to 2A Greater St. Helens League foe Hockinson in the second half, Washougal battled for nearly 40 more minutes of scoreless action to send the game to penalty kicks in a 1-1 tie.
Once there, the Panthers were poised in a tense moment. Washougal’s Maite Urzua-Sanchez, Maddy Alldrin and Avery Dixson each converted their penalty kicks. Goalkeeper Maeve Norton, who made 11 saves during the match, got her gloves on Hockinson’s fourth attempt and watched as the fifth attempt veered wide of the goal, giving Washougal a 2-1 win and its first over Hockinson since 2017.
“To get this win was definitely very much an achievement,” Norton said.
Even more so when considering what Washougal’s program went through during the offseason.
With the graduation of 12 seniors from last year’s team, including all-league performers Jamie Maas and Bre Alldrin, a small number of newcomers weren’t enough to replenish outgoing players in the program.
That left the Panthers unable to field a JV team for the fall season. As it stands now, Washougal’s varsity roster consists of 19 players program-wide, though a couple of those players are currently sidelined due to injuries.
“Going into it, we kind of felt like the underdogs since we were only having one team and didn’t have very many try out,” Norton said. “A couple people quit after because they didn’t think they would get playing time and stuff. But I think we’ve definitely proved ourselves.”
To their credit, Washougal players did their part to grow those numbers, asking friends to spread the word at school they were looking for more players to bolster the program. A few players even hung signs around town with a similar message.
“We had 12 seniors last year so it was a really big dip,” Maddy Alldrin said. “The first couple weeks of practices were hard. But we just worked together and it was a group effort.”
The group is certainly on the young side. Washougal has just three seniors on its roster — Lauren Clary, Riley Williams and Evelyn Gomez — and a host of underclassmen playing key roles.
Alldrin, a sophomore, and Urzua-Sanchez, a freshman, are the team’s top goal-scorers. The latter had a hat trick in a win last week over Hudson’s Bay, and also provided the first goal in the 48th minute Tuesday on a left-footed shot from approximately 25 yards out that found the top right corner of the net.
“She’s a firecracker. She’s always going for it,” Norton said.
“She’s just a freshman, I don’t even know where she came from, but she’s amazing,” Alldrin added.
Sophomore captains Dixson and Marley Weaver are the pillars of the Panthers’ back line. Norton, a junior returning starter at keeper a showed every bit of that veteran experience during overtime and PKs to keep the Hawks from going ahead.
“I’ve always been pretty confident with PKs,” Norton said. “I’m good with mental stuff, so I was confident going into it. I knew I could do it if I set my mind to it.”
In an always tough 2A GSHL, which has produced each of the last two 2A state champions in Ridgefield (2023) and Columbia River (2022), Washougal (4-1, 2-1 2A GSHL) has already made valuable progress. The Panthers’ future looks plenty bright, too.
“We’re having a good start. We just need to keep it through the season, keep on winning and keep working together,” Alldrin said.
“With practices, we’re just going to keep getting better,” Norton added.
