Off to blazing start, could this be Gig Harbor soccer’s year for playoff success?

The players on the Gig Harbor High girls soccer team all wrote “Intense” in Sharpie on their arms before their game against visiting Class 4A Union on Saturday.

On the surface, it was a clear message: Play with intensity against the Titans, until the final whistle.

And Gig Harbor did just that, dominating possession and controlling the pace of play. While the Tides conceded the opening goal, Gig Harbor fought back to tie it on Jaylynn Barton’s goal early in the second half and then won it, 2-1, in the last minute on a goal from freshman Lily Paulson.

But the message scrawled across the players’ arms was also a reminder that often times in the Class 3A South Sound Conference — which has seen Gig Harbor generally dominate since the league’s inception — often times, the greatest competition for the Tides is themselves.

“We just want to focus on the process and not worry about what the outcome will be,” Paulson said.

For Tides coach Stephanie Cox, who has inherited plenty of talent since taking over the job four years ago, the biggest challenge in a league lacking parity and depth has been getting the Tides to focus on themselves. Getting better every practice. Pushing each other in scrimmages.

“Our motivation to each other is just to uphold the standard of the way that we can play,” Cox said. “I think sometimes, our toughest competition this year will be ourselves, and just finding consistency all over the field.”

The common theme for Gig Harbor the past few years has been: Dominate the league, win a district game, but then struggle in the opening round of the state tournament.

Last year, Gig Harbor was eliminated in the opening round of state, losing to Bellevue in a penalty shootout. The year before, a 2-0 loss to Roosevelt in the opening round. And in 2015, the last year they played in the 4A classification, the Tides suffered a 2-0 loss to Skyline in the opening round.

Clearly, reaching the state tournament isn’t a failure, by any means. But Gig Harbor is motivated to make it deeper this year. Gig Harbor’s 4-0 start — which includes a 5-0 win over Bellevue, the team that bounced Gig Harbor from the state tournament last year — has the Tides believing this could be a big year.

“We’re really motivated,” Paulson said. “Especially with our good start. I feel like this time, since we started so well, it’s going to help us in our other games and help us to be more confident. We really want it this year.”

Gig Harbor senior center back Grace Neil learned that roads to the state championship can take funny turns. Playing on the basketball team last year, Neil and the Tides lost two games in the district tournament. The Tides ended up going on a tear after that, culminating in a state title.

“Anybody can lose on any given day — I learned that during basketball season,” Neil said. “So it just shows that you have to take it one game at a time. It’s all about timing.”

Could the time be now for Gig Harbor? On paper, it looks as promising a time as any.

Gig Harbor is led by junior forward Alyssa Gray, a Washington State University commit. Paulson, a freshman, has turned into an integral part of the attack. Midfielder Hannah Carroll, a state track champion, is all over the field, as the roaming piece of the midfield, connecting the defense, midfield and attack. The team’s defense is strong, anchored by Neil, who has grown comfortably into her role as a center back.

There are plenty of other players making an impact, also. Simply put, there aren’t any glaring weaknesses on the Tides’ roster.

“We all work together really well,” Carroll said. “It’s not one person versus 11. It’s all of us working together to move the ball around the field. I think also, knowing we push each other the hardest we can in practice. It’s always about competition. I think it has gotten us prepared, having that high level of play in practice.”

This story was originally published September 18, 2018 at 12:51 PM.