(Puyallup, WA) It might have been a rainy day in Puyallup, WA on Wednesday, October 11, but nothing could dampen the smiles of the Red Devil soccer players as they walked out with the 3-2 win over Pierce.
Lower Columbia had this match marked on their calendars since September 9 when the Raiders got the 3-1 win over LCC in Longview. The team knew it was not going to be easy getting a win at Pierce but you would not have known that watching them warm up. The team was loose and joking around but ready.
It didn't take long for the Devils to get things started. At the 10:19 mark,
Jasmari Nolasco took a rebound a Pierce player from the top of the box sailing it over the Raiders goal keeper's head.
Pierce responded quickly though when at the 15:26 mark, Raiders midfielder, Kaylee Mithun, fired a shot from the top of the box passed the outstrected arm of Devils goalie,
Jade Goulding.
The two teams battle for nearly 30 minutes before the Devils took advantage of a corner kick to hit their second goal at the 38:31 mark.
Delaney McNett took the kick and passed it off to
Rhyli Grim who proceeded to move around a Raiders defender and take the shot before Pierce even realized what was happening. Lower Columbia would take the 2-1 lead into the half.
The second half of the match was a grudge match with both teams battle hard. It wasn't until the 82:03 mark that LCC hit their insurance goal. This time
Rhyli Grim hit a perfect cross in front of the Raider goal to find
Sydney Lulay running in to get a foot on it.
Pierce was not about to give up though and in the 87th minute got a free kick just outside the Devils goal box. The Raiders kick bounced of the cross bar, shooting up into the air, were Raiders midfielder Ashlyn Kennedy was able to put a head on it and bounce it over Goulding. With the score now at 3-2 Lower Columbia, the Red Devils went into prevent mode and used their ability to control possession to run out the clock and cement their victory.
The win puts Lower Columbia in sole possession of second place in the NWAC west region standings at 6-1-1.
Next up for the Red Devils is a home match vs the Centralia Trailblazers on Wednesday, October 18, at 4:00 pm.
