On a night when Edmonds-Woodway had scoring opportunities galore and outplayed Glacier Peak most of the game, the Warriors left Edmonds Stadium shaking their heads after a 1-0 loss on penalty kicks in the 3A District 1 title game.
The third-seeded Warriors notched three times as many shots on goal, 15-5, as the Grizzlies, but simply could not convert.
“Too many chances that went begging for the back of the net,” E-W coach Tony Gilman said.
“It was the best total game we’ve played in a long time,” he said. “Just didn’t finish. Hopefully it fuels the fire for the next game.”
The Warriors will most likely play Ballard, the 3A Metro League district champion, early next week on the road in the 16-team state tournament..
To confirm the opponent, game time and place, see the WIAA 3A tournament bracket, to be updated Sunday at the following link: https://www.wiaa.com/Brackets/T1183.pdf.
After two scoreless five-minute overtime periods, punctuated by two huge saves by E-W senior goalkeeper Griffin Small in the first overtime, the teams lined up for penalty kicks.
E-W went first in the alternating round and quickly fell behind when senior Trey Clugston’s kick went wide right and Glacier Peak goalkeeper Sahm Noorfeshan blocked senior Sofian Mahmoud’s kick. Senior Alejandro Pellegrino and junior Ethan Hopkins converted their kicks but it was not enough as the Grizzlies made their first four kicks, despite Small getting piece of two of them. Miles Johnston, Kevin Duan, Riley Prescott and Spencer Pettit found the net for Glacier Peak and the Grizzlies celebrated by the goal.
“It’s who feels it on game day,” Gilman said of his philosophy on who takes penalties.
The Warriors had numerous near misses in regulation, especially the second half. One of the best chances came in the 52nd minute when the ball ricocheted off the chest of a diving Noorfeshan in the goal box, but the Warriors attempt to clean up went wide right.
In the first 20 minutes of the game, both teams were evenly matched, but then E-W ratcheted up the pressure, ending with six shots on goal to Glacier Peak’s one at the half.
The Grizzlies stepped up their offensive attack a bit in the second half, but E-W answered and continued to possess the ball and dominate the offensive end.
Despite the disappointing loss, the Warriors are going to play a state tournament game for the first time since 2003.
“The fact is that we still get to play another game,” Gilman said.
Glacier Peak, the top seed in the district tournament, will host a first round playoff game next week.
— By Tony Dondero
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