Bruins earn first girls soccer win, 2-0, vs. Vancouver

WHITE SALMON —Columbia won its first girls soccer match this season, 2-0, on Sept. 23 against Fort Vancouver.

The Bruins (1-3 overall) scored less than two minutes into the match, and then again with two minutes left in the first half, to earn their first Trico League win. Columbia followed with a 5-0 loss to King’s Way Christian on Sept. 25, later falling on Sept. 27 to visiting Kalama, 2-1.

Columbia keeper Lani Uffelman earned the shutout against Fort Vancouver. The opening goal came after Vancouver failed to clear a through ball on a Bruin run down the left side. Columbia’s Sofia Vicente was in the middle of the field and saw the play developing. She angled toward the goal as teammate Leah Floria drew out the Vancouver keeper and crossed the ball to the middle. The ball rolled past two oncoming defenders to the right side where Vicente one touched it into the back of the net.

A failed clearance by Vancouver also led to the second Bruin goal. After the ball was bounced back and forth between the two teams in the penalty area, it ricocheted away to Sage Witherrite about 20 yards in front on the net. She controlled the ball and then struck a low, right-footed shot to the left corner past the diving Vancouver keeper.

Columbia struck first on a sunny afternoon against Kalama. Emma Wooding converted a beautiful cross into a 1-0 lead for the Bruins in the opening few minutes. Kiera Bucher almost gave Columbia a 2-0 lead with less than 12 minutes before halftime. She controlled a corner kick, dribbled the ball with her right foot behind her back to her left and booted a line drive that cleared the Kalama keepers’ outstretched hand but glanced off the crossbar.

Kalama tied the match later in the half on a penalty kick. The Chinooks scored the game winner when Sienna DiCristina dribbled around a Columbia defender and looped a 25-yard right-footed shot into the upper left corner of the goal.