By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
MCMINNVILLE, Ore.– It was one of those dare to be great moments for the Amity Girls Soccer team’s defense Tuesday afternoon against Creswell.
It was a familiar spot for the Warriors in the 3A/2A/1A State Playoffs being in the Semi-Finals. Three of the last four years that they’ve gotten to this point, yet they hadn’t gotten beyond that final Tuesday game.
Until Tuesday.
And it was thanks, in part, to their defense.
A 12th minute PK by Eliza Nisly proved to be all they need to slip by the Bulldogs 1-0 on Saturday at McMinnville High School as their defense became a factor. Their backline swarmed, Kylie Wilson lined up her defenders when she needed to on free kicks and corners. The senior goalie made four late saves in the first half and several more in the second half to help the Warriors to their 11th shutout of the season.
“(Creswell) was really good and they got through, but it definitely made a big difference having them,” Wilson said. “We definitely have the momentum to keep going, we’re going to build off of the momentum for the next game.”
“We wanted to come out strong and play two really strong halves because sometimes we struggle with that and we really wanted this. We all were committed and we’re pushing, we’re strong,” adds Amity defense Grace Ulloa. “A lot of these girls, it’s their last year, we just wanted to go out with a bang. Do really good and we just try to be really confident in ourselves and keep pushing. Just talking and keep good communication throughout.”
Amity had their chances to add to their lead to give them a cushion in the second half. An offsides call in the 43rd minute nullified a Teagan Russell goal. And two shots on goal in the 68th minute just missed their marks.
But with how their defense was playing on this day, thankfully they just needed that one Nisly goal to help lift them into uncharted territory with their first-ever 3A/2A/1A State Championship Appearance following their 1-0 victory.
“This is great, this is a great feeling. We went up against tough opponents the last years too, but this year we were slightly better and it made a difference,” said Amity Head Coach Andy Dyer. “The girls, they’re ready to play. We’ll celebrate, the after today, they’ll lock in pretty quickly. We won’t have any trouble getting ready for Saturday.”
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
