TD girls soccer team still unbeaten

The Riverhawks (1-0-2), guided by Coach Colby Tonn, took a 1-0 lead when junior forward Amyrah Hill scored a goal in the ninth minute from an assist by junior midfielder Jazmine Delacruz. It was the fifth goal scored by Hill, who is the Riverhawks’ leading scorer. The Riverhawks played solid defense and held the Tigers (3-0-1) scoreless for the remaining 31 minutes of the first half.

“La Grande was a great test because they were a very strong team last season (11-3-1 record) and they reached the Class 4A state playoff quarterfinals last year and they only lost two seniors,” said Tonn. “We played well, and we played great team defense. It was nice going in there and facing a team that is always good every year. They’re a team that is planning to make a deep run in the state playoffs again this year. So, it was a good measuring stick to see where we’re at.”

The Riverhawks’ defense, led by junior goalkeeper Katlyne Sorensen (six saves) and defenders Yadhira Cruz-Torres, Josefine Nielsen, Maisie Bandel-Ramirez, Naomi Heredia and Ivy Wollum, played tough throughout the match.

The Tigers outshot the Riverhawks, 14-5, and they scored a late goal in the 74th minute. La Grande had possession of the ball offensively for a good portion of the contest. The Riverhawks handled the Tigers’ offensive pressure well and then focused on a counter-attacking sc heme to stay in control of the game and create scoring opportunities.

“They’re (Tigers) a good team and they do a good job of spreading things out and passing and playing two-touch soccer,” said Tonn. “When you play against a possession team like La Grande, you can chase them, or you can just absorb their pressure and look to hit quick and that’s what we were looking to do. We just couldn’t pull it out at the end, but we’re happy with the effort and our play. We put in a new system this year and we’re still adjusting to that. We expect that the more we practice and the more we play, the more we’ll be comfortable with it.”

The Riverhawks faced the Crook County High Cowgirls (0-2) in the opening matchup of their 10-game Tri-Valley Conference schedule Tuesday at home (result was after the printed edition deadline). The Riverhawks meet an Estacada High Rangers (0-3-1) squad that’s seeking its first win on Thursday at 6 p.m. at Estacada High School.

“I expect every game to be tough,” said Tonn. “Estacada played La Grande tough earlier (a 1-0 loss Sept. 10 at La Grande), they have a really good goalie, and they play good team defense. We’ll be playing under the lights on their new turf football field, so it should be a fun game. We’ll just have to be ready for whatever they throw at us.”