It took a short while but Thomas Jefferson found the way to the net, beating Puyallup, 2-0, in a South Puget Sound League No. 2 North vs South seeding battle for state placement in soccer action at Art Crate Field at Bethel High School Wednesday.

Loser-out action started Saturday, with TJ having played Todd Beamer for the right to get past the first round of the state tournament.

TJ coach Wade Webber liked the offensive output of his team this game, saying it was uncharacteristic of the season.

"We have had a hard time scoring goals this year," said Webber of his team that was 9-2-5 though they only scored 13 goals in 12 games. If you take out the 18 goals scored (8-0 and 10-0 wins) against Kent-Meridian, the North's cellar dwellar this season, who was winless at 0-13.

So, offensively, this was what Webber wanted to see.

"We created more chances than we usually create," Webber, who was a star member at sweeper for the national record setting win streak 1983-86 Raiders boys soccer team that was also in that time state champions four years straight. Webber also played professional ball for the MSL's D.C. United.

The Lady Raider creations that made the most difference happened 13 minutes apart in the second half. First, it was a Kendall Swynenburg passing a good through-ball slicing the Puyallup defense for Amy Pate to run onto all by her lonesome and blast the ball far-post to make it 1-0 just three minutes into the second half.

Senior captain Molly Gebhardt described Pate.

"She's our leading scorer, she is very active out there," said Gebhardt. "She's good at anticipating plays."

Then came the second goal for the maroon and white as it was Swynenburg scoring the next one off an assist from Sara Byrne in the 14th minute of the second half.

"She's active and has crazy good flicks with her feet," said Gebhardt of Swynenburg, who was a good part of the Raiders' success last year when they lost to Woodinville, 1-0, at state in this same game that is coming up for them -- the first round of the state tournament where they now play Beamer to prove the city champ for the year as well as solidify who was better this year, the SPSL North or the SPSL South.

Gebhardt in fact broke her fibula in the third game of the season this year so the hard-working, good crossing player, was just happy to be in there this time because it's her first time playing since she broke her leg way back when.

"My leg's good, it's not going to fall off" laughed Gebhardt, who only played the final 15 minutes of the Puyallup seeding game.

"Webber just wanted to try me out. He said I could play more Saturday," said Gebhardt. "That's good. I'm not in the best of shape."

The Raiders have really been shaping out well in the back, with not many goals scored on them even though they have not scored many. True to form, that explains how they can have only 13 goals scored offensively all season and still be a very formidable foe for anyone. They tied Kentwood twice and the Conks won the SPSL North.

"We have a good scrappy defense," said Webber. "If you take out the Tahoma game, we had four goals scored on us in that one, we have done very well defensively."

That would be the territory of Kelsey Learned and Byrne. But Gebhardt let it be known that those two anchor the not-many-scores from foes all season. But there are others, a lot of others that help keep keeper Megan Hilby not so tested sometimes back there. Hilby does do well though herself. She had five saves against the Vikings that were good ones.

"We have a really strong defense," said Gebhardt. "Our whole team can play defense when we need to. Our whole team plays everything."

And, for Gebhardt, defense, offense, who cares, she's just happy she is out there as she said. But she knows she has a role too that is a lot more than offense and defense.

"I want to be an inspirational captain," said Gebhardt. "That is what I have tried to be while out."

And, now that she's back, she wants to do more than just that cheery stuff.

" I want to be getting my crosses in and helping out defensively."

Webber sees this team as pretty good, not the same as last year but that's not bad either.

"We are different, we had two Division One players on that team," said Webber, speaking of the team last year that won almost all their games, including the SPSL North, and just lost a heartbreaker to Woodinville, 1-0, as previously mentioned. "This team has a nice character. We have eight seniors. And Molly Gebhardt broke her Fibula the third game of the season and she is back and she looked good in there."

The Raiders have lost not only Gebhardt but also their first keeper from academic reasons midway through the season.

"We use that Nietsche quote: 'That which does not destroy us makes us stronger," said Webber. "The girls thought of that but it's very true. Out of adversity we have found strength."