Seattle Christian used quick forwards and strong support from the midfield to constantly pressure Cascade Christian in a 5-0 home girls soccer victory against the hard trying Cougars in an afternoon Class 1A Nisqually League match up at Valley Ridge Park on Tuesday, September 20.
For the Warriors it was a league opening win to improve their overall record to 2-1 while the ever improving Cougars fell to 0-3, 0-5 respectively.
"We set up our goals for the season a few weeks ago," said Seattle Christian head coach Melissa Bennett Dunckley, who is pregnant and due to give birth anytime within the next few weeks.
"Our approach for each game is to meet our goals. so far we've done what we wanted to accomplish," Dunckley explained. "We don't have a lot of players, but they're very good. Because our forwards are so good, we can afford to push up from the midfield and go forward with the passing of the ball. (Coach) Lisa Peterson has really helped Cascade Christian improve."
Opening quickly, the host Warriors gained field position and proceeded to pass away until Madison Hibbard claimed a pass from Megan Mitchell to score for SCS with only 2:40 elapsed game time.
With the Warrior defense disrupting the Cougars' attempts to find their marks, Seattle Christian was able push up the midfielders for nearly unrelenting attacks as Hibbard scored an unassisted goal in the 11th minute.
As the half continued, the talented Warriors penetrated the splits in Cascade Christian's defense for a Megan Mitchell goal at 29:08 with Kimber Howard on the assist.
"We have really strong players on our team and we're excited about how many are going to grow," stated Hibbard. "We're going to state."
At the start of the second half, the visiting Cougars came right down the field to threaten Seattle Christian's goal area, but within a few minutes the Warriors had recaptured the field position advantage.
Only the improved Cascade Christian defense was able to hold Seattle Christian to a pair of second half goals.
Mitchell scored at 56:25 with an assist from Hibbard and the final score at 74:50 was an own goal.
Cascade Christian keeper Sierra Roth worked hard to turn away shots against the horde of attackers, earning eight saves against a mighty multitude of shots.
Senior Makalah Mumm earned the shutout with three save coming off four Cougar shots. Near the end of regulation play, the Cougars nearly scored off a rebound with Mumm cradling the ball in goal.
"Our team is willing to work," concluded Hibbard. "So far, we're getting good at shots and we're learning to play together."
Although the Cougars are still without a win this season, it was still an enjoyable experience for third year Cascade Christian head coach Peterson, who built championship level squads during her 20 years at SCS, also coaching current Warrior head coach Dunckley, who took over the SCS coaching and continued the Warrior girls soccer success.
Dunckley's husband and SCS assistant coach Zack graduated from Seattle Christian with Peterson's daughter Kelsey and her son, Corey, was a graduate for Seattle Christian while also being the current SCS middle school head boys soccer coach.
"I always enjoy the chance to coach with Melissa although being the coach of the opposition," she said. "I'm having a ball coaching these girls who have an excellent attitude. Our staff has given us great support and the girls are really improving. I love coming up here to play Seattle Christian."
The 2011 Seattle Christian player roster includes Mikayla Wrolstad, Lydia Gillette, Payton Hibbard, Kimber Howard, Madison Hibbard, Emily Bjornstad, Faith Pizzey, Cassidy Stobart, Taylor Hentschell, Morgan Gaston, Erin Swain, Nikki Davis, Shaina Mitchell, Megan Mitchell and Makalah Mumm.
