The Lady Blackhawks varsity soccer team finished second in their regular season, dominating both Pullman and Clarkton in the District 7 2A playoffs but coming up short against East Valley in the Great Northern League Championship Tuesday night.
The team controlled the field early in the match against Pullman (3-12-1, 1-11), scoring four goals in the first half — two from junior defender and forward Mackenzie Huotari and two from sophomore midfielder Makenna Benson. The pair of early goals from Huotari set the tone for the evening and secured the 4-0 shutout victory for the Lady Blackhawks.
“With Pullman we came out strong from the start and got our shots in,” head coach Nels Radtke said. “In the second half it was nice because I was able to get everyone in to play, including the JV players.
Cheney’s clash with Clarkston (8-10, 4-8) in the semifinal was slightly more challenging, but Cheney (11-7, 7-5) still came out on top 2-0, in part thanks to a momentous save by senior keeper Melissa Aris.
Junior midfielder and forward Kaitlin Teeters scored both goals for the second-seeded Lady Blackhawks, one in the 30th minute and one in the 79th.
“Against Clarkston it was still a physical battle for us, but Mel came up big on that huge save that kept us in the lead,” Radtke said.
Ultimately, the Lady Blackhawks just couldn’t keep up with the Lady Knight’s defense during the Oct. 30 championship match, as East Valley keeper Lillie Thompson made save after save. It was a back and forth battle in the first half, but Cheney was overpowered in the second half and was defeated 3-0.
Shannen Talbot can be reached at shannen@cheneyfreepress.com.
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