TD girls soccer team closes in on state playoff berth

The Riverhawks, guided by Coach Colby Tonn, have nearly clinched a spot in the OSAA Class 4A playoffs beginning Oct. 29. The Riverhawks are in second place in the six-team TVC standings behind the No. 4 ranked Gladstone High Gladiators (7-0 TVC, 10-1 overall). The Riverhawks were seeking to get a road win Tuesday versus the Madras High White Buffaloes (1-4-2 TVC, 2-5-2) to clinch a playoff berth (result was after the printed edition deadline.)

“We’re playing a lot better now and we played really well against Crook County,” said Tonn. “We were able to rest some players and rotate other people into the lineup to help give everyone some playing time. It also helps having Katelyne Sorensen back in our lineup now.

“Katelyn has a lot more experience than our backup goalkeepers. Freshman Paola Lopez and junior Torres Lilly Gabel both did a good job at goalkeeper for three games, but neither one of them had any varsity experience.”

Sorensen was injured in a Sept. 26 home game against Madras (a 7-3 win) and she missed the next three contests (all losses) while recovering from the injury. Sorensen had three saves against Crook County.

Junior forward and leading scorer Amyrah Hill (15 goals) had a hat trick (three goals) for the second time this year to help lead The Dalles to the win over the Cowgirls. Junior midfielder Lindsey Vazquez and freshman midfielder Natalie Elias also scored goals for The Dalles. The game marked the 24th consecutive loss over two seasons for Crook County, which was 0-14 last year.

The Dalles continued its resurgence and won 3-0 over the visiting Estacada High Rangers (1-3-3 TVC, 1-6-4 overall) Oct. 13. Vazquez scored two goals and Elias scored a goal.

“Estacada is a good squad; they’re tough, they have a good goalkeeper and they played good defense,” said Tonn. “We possessed the ball very well and our back line (Maisie Bandel-Ramirez, Ivy Wollum, Yadhira Cruz-Torres, Naomi Heredia) did a really good job, so Katelyn didn’t even have to make one save.

“We just want to treat every game like it’s a playoff game. We want to make the playoffs, but we don’t want to have the attitude of being happy just to make it there and that’s enough. We want to be competitive and finish as high as we possibly can in the playoffs.”

The Dalles has two games left on the regular season schedule, which includes its final league road game Thursday at 6 p.m. versus Gladstone. The Riverhawks then conclude the regular season in an Oct. 25 Senior Night, 6 p.m. home game versus the Molalla High Indians (4-2-1 TVC, 5-3-3 overall). That game could decide second place in the Tri-Valley Conference, which would provide the winner with a more favorable playoff position. Molalla, in third place behind The Dalles, beat the Riverhawks, 2-1, on Oct. 4.