Hawks come close to earning state bid
The HC girls soccer team scores league playoff win over Santiam Christian
DAN BROOD / The Times
PLAYOFF STAR — Horizon Christian junior forward Candice Russell (left) scored the Hawks’ second goal in the 2-0 playoff victory over Santiam Christian.
TUALATIN — For the young Horizon Christian High School girls soccer team, it was a season of goals scored and goals achieved.
The Hawks, who set a goal to reach the District 4 league playoffs this season, did that and more. Horizon Christian, in its third season, not only reached the league playoffs, but the Hawks won a league playoff contest and then came oh-so-close to earning a Class 4A/3A/2A/1A state playoff bid.
“This has been incredible,” Horizon Christian freshman Maggie Bachhuber said following the Hawks’ 2-0 win over Santiam Christian in a league playoff match played last Thursday at Horizon Christian High School. “We’ve just kept pushing on.”
“We’re playing for God,” senior defender Lisa Stewart said after the win over Santiam Christian. “And we have the desire.”
Horizon Christian, following the win over Santiam Christian, fell 2-1 in overtime at Western Mennonite in a league playoff match on Saturday with a state playoff berth on the line.
The playoff split gives the Hawks a final overall record of 8-5-1, giving the team more wins this season than it had in its first two years combined.
“This season has been incredible,” Horizon Christian coach Cory Hand said after the win over Santiam Christian. “We reached our goals, now we have to reset them.”
In Thursday’s league playoff match, the Hawks and Santiam Christian played to a scoreless tie in the first half of play. But Horizon Christian broke through to take the lead 15 minutes into the second half.
Freshman Lizzie Ng started the scoring play with a free kick from 35 yards out. Bachhuber, running in, got to the ball off the free kick and, from about six yards away, she knocked it into the net to give the Hawks the lead.
Then, with 11 minutes and 15 seconds left in the match, Horizon Christian upped the margin to 2-0. Ng again ignited the scoring play with a corner kick coming from the right side. Hawk junior Chardae Dover got to the ball and touched it to junior forward Candice Russell, who knocked it into the goal from close range for the team’s second goal of the contest.
That would be more than enough as the Horizon Christian defense notched its third shutout in a row.
“Lisa Stewart played the game of her life on defense,” Hand said. “And Lizzie and Gracie (Dempster) also played great back there.”
“We shut them down,” Stewart said. “And we kept pushing up.”
“This is our first time in the playoffs,” Bachhuber said. “It’s great.”
In Saturday’s match at Western Mennonite, the teams were locked in a scoreless tie at halftime, with the Hawks getting the better of the play in the first half.
Russell gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead with a goal from 20 yards away coming 10 minutes into the second half.
Western Mennonite got the equalizer with just three and a half minutes to play in regulation on a free kick goal by Adria Ivanitsky.
The teams were tied at 1-1 at the end of regulation, sending the playoff match to overtime. The Pioneers got the game-winning goal with just 20 seconds left in the 20-minute overtime session on another free kick goal by Ivanitsky.
Still, the Hawks were happy with their performance.
“That has to be the best that I have seen our team play,” Hand said. “They played with so much passion, commitment and without any regret.”
Stewart, Ng and junior Micah Schuler led the defensive effort. Bachhuber, Russell and senior Victoria Holmes created the opportunities on offense.
The playoff loss marked the final high school match for Horizon Christian seniors Holmes, Deanna Ulrich, Cassie Lopez and Stewart.