The Dalles remains unbeaten in girls soccer

THE DALLES - The two-time defending Tri-Valley Conference champion The Dalles High Riverhawks extended their girls soccer win streak to 10 following a 6-1 road win Oct. 7 over Molalla.

The trio of sophomore midfielder Willow Ziegenhagen, junior forward Ariana Gonzalez and junior midfielder Lilyana Gonzalez each scored two goals for the Riverhawks (4-0 TVC, 10-0 overall). Ariana Gonzalez leads the team in scoring with 23 goals; Ziegenhagen has 12 goals.

The No. 2-ranked Riverhawks, guided by 12th-year Coach Colby Tonn and assistant coach Darcey Hodges, led 1-0 at halftime on a goal scored by Ariana Gonzalez.

Tonn said: “We were playing good in the first half, but we just were not quite putting the ball into the net like we’re normally doing. The girls just really turned it on offensively in the second half.

“They’re playing soccer the way that we want them play, which is sharing the ball, defending as one unit and attacking as a unit. That way our opponents can’t focus on trying to stop just one specific player.”

The Riverhawks are ranked No. 2 defensively out of 31 4A squads as they have allowed just two goals scored this season. The goal scored by the Indians (3-2 TVC, 7-4 overall) was the first goal by a Riverhawk opponent since their 2-1 home win over the No. 9-ranked La Grande High Tigers (5-3-1) on Sept. 17. The Riverhawks have eight shutouts.

“We were disappointed in allowing Molalla to score a goal,” said Tonn. “We always have the attitude that it’s never okay to allow a goal … that’s the mentality that the girls have and they never have any letdowns defensively.”

The Riverhawks play Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. vs. Madras (0-5 TVC, 1-9-1 overall). They’ll follow with a key 6 p.m. road game Oct. 21 versus the No. 5-ranked Gladstone High Gladiators (4-1 TVC, 8-3 overall).

Tonn said the break between games has been good for the team. “It’s fun to compete in games, but everyone has been playing a lot; they’ve been playing hard, but they all need some rest. Everyone can get caught up in schoolwork and have a mental break to help us get ready for the second half of our league schedule.”