Best Start in Four Seasons

The EvCC Women's Soccer team is off to it's best start since the 2014 season when the Trojans took home the NWAC Championship.  Saturday's 4-3 win versus the visiting Portland CC Panthers proved that the 2019 Trojans can compete with the top caliber teams in the NWAC.  Before the game Portland was coming off of a 4-0 win over Centralia, a narrow one goal loss to powerhouse Tacoma, and they were an NWAC playoff team last season.  

The Trojans struck first in the 22nd minute off of a Cassidy Gamble free kick from back inside the EvCC half of the field.  Gamble sent the ball deep finding Elizabeth Erickson who had a beautiful one touch off of her head right to a sprinting Olivia Lee who placed a chip shot over the goalkeeper's outstretched arm.  This was the third goal of the season for the Highline College transfer who scored four goals last season for the Thunderbirds.  

The Panthers showed why they are a dangerous team when they capitalized just two minutes later on a Trojan turnover near midfield, turning that turnover into a 1v1 situation that beat Trojans goalkeeper Alexius McKinney.  Portland would continue to apply pressure getting two more shots that would narrowly miss before EvCC regained composure and executed a counter attack that started with defender Autumn Bell intercepted a PCC pass and sent the ball forward to Olivia Lee.  Lee pushed the ball forward with three touches before finding Elizabeth Erickson who again placed a beautiful pass, this time off of her left foot to a streaking Emily Marriott.  Marriott cut the ball back behind a Portland defender before sending a shot with her left foot to the far post to give the Trojans a 2-1 lead.  

With moments to go before halftime, EvCC earned a corner kick and capitalized when Olivia Lee sent a high arching kick right in front of the goal and found Elizabeth Erickson who headed the ball past the PCC keeper to take a 3-1 lead into the half.

The 2nd half featured continuous pressure from the Panthers with four shots on goal in the first ten minutes of the half before finally hitting home in the 60th minute on a shot from well outside the 18 that found the upper right corner of the net.  Everett tightened up the defense for the final 30 minutes of the game and held on for the 3-2 win.

The victory concluded the five game non-league schedule, and at 4-1-0 the Trojans look poised to begin North Region play on Saturday, September 6th versus cross town rival Edmonds CC, a team that swept the Trojans in all three meetings last season.  Kick off is set for 12pm at Kasch Park.