Host La Grande scored six, second-half goals to end the season for The Dalles’ girls soccer team Nov. 2 in a 7-1 first-round win in the OSAA Class 4A playoffs.
Entering the match against the No. 7-ranked Tigers (11-3-1), the 10th-ranked Riverhawks (9-5-2) felt like they had a good chance to win. Their confidence level was high after advancing to the state playoffs for the first time since 2019. They had momentum after winning five of their past six games, and they played to a 1-1 tie with the Tigers on Sept. 13 in La Grande.
Instead, Coach Colby Tonn’s team had no answer for Tigers’ second-half offensive explosion. La Grande advanced to Saturday’s quarterfinals where it lost 1-0 to the No. 2-ranked Hidden Valley High Mustangs (11-2-1).
“It was not what we were hoping for,” said Tonn. “We started off well and we wanted to make some adjustments, but we just didn’t get it done. Natasha Muzechenko had a great shot and scored a goal in the second half. It’s a rough way to end the season, but we had a good year.
“We had a good start at the beginning of the season (six-game unbeaten streak). We had some injuries, too, but that’s part of sports and you just play with the people that you have. The people who were in there gave it their all today.”
The Tigers scored a goal in the 25th minute to get their 1-0 first-half advantage. Muzechenko, one of five Riverhawk seniors playing the last game of their high school career, scored her goal on a shot from 30 yards, making the score, 4-1.
The seniors who played in their final match for The Dalles were Lyris Voodre-Grover, Maisie Bandel-Ramirez, Ivy Wollam, Naomi Heredia and Muzechenko. Senior Nataly Carabantes didn’t play because of an injury earlier this season.
The Dalles played the game without injured starters Josefine Nielsen, Paola Elias, and Lindsey Vazquez. In addition, Riverhawk leading scorer Amyrah Hill (22 goals), has continued playing, despite suffering a toe injury in a home game against Molalla on Oct. 25.
The Riverhawks had four players competing against La Grande who had never played varsity soccer: Sophomore Jamie Bastian Palacios, and frosh Katie Quevedo, Abril Rincon, and Fernanda Gonzaga.
“They went out there and just played well and hard and they didn’t look like first-time varsity players going against the No. 7 ranked team in the state in a playoff game,” said Tonn. “All four of them were ready to play, so that just goes to show how good our player development is and what a good job that assistant coaches Shudi Datta and Yesenia Aguilar are doing on the junior varsity team.”
Tonn said he will miss his seniors. “I’ve been coaching the seniors since they were sophomores, because they were on the varsity team right after their freshman year,” he said. “I’ve had them on the team for a long time and just watching them develop the last three seasons. They’re definitely going to be missed. They provided leadership through their example and that helped us set the tone for the season.
“We had some highs and lows, but they showed great improvement. They’re very kind and hard-working seniors. They’re great students and their cumulative grade-point average is over 3.75. They never had any self-serving attitudes; they always worked hard … they were very welcoming to any new players.”
Tonn said Carabantes had surgery Oct. 17 and is recovering. He said he will help her try to find a college where she can play on the women’s soccer team.
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