The Sweet Home High School girls’ soccer team finished league playoffs in fourth place Saturday after losing 2-0 to Junction City.
The Huskies will play Philomath High School, ranked number one in the state, on Saturday at Corvallis High School or Philomath High School, said Coach Ramiro Santana. The time has not been set yet. For information, call the high school at (541) 367-7142.
“We played the best ever,” Santana said, adding that his team is peaking right now.
But his team hasn’t had the breaks recently, he said, noting some frustration with officiating in the game.
Junction City scored its first goal after a call for a hand ball. Hana Reerslev kicked the ball in from 30 to 40 yards out.
The Tigers scored their second goal near the end of the first half from the corner of the field, sort of like a corner kick to the middle, Santana said. He didn’t know who scored the goal.
After that, the Huskies defense stopped Junction City from scoring again, Santana said. “This time, they didn’t beat us playing. They beat us with dead stop kicks.”
He assigned Sabrina Davis and Kaitlin Keenon to watch ShayLee Miner, Junction City’s most dangerous weapon, he said, and she wasn’t able to score.
Meghan O’Donell led a strong defense in the center with Shelbey Gillespie, he said.
The team hasn’t done well earlier this season, he said, but the way the Huskies are playing now, he thinks the Sweet Home could conceivably upset Philomath, which was number one and lost in the first round last year.
Philomath is comfortable, he said, and a team like his can go in and become a challenge.
“You never know,” Santana said. “Our spirits are pretty high up.”