High school girls soccer: Top teams, players in South Sound
For most leagues around the South Sound, the high school girls soccer season has been underway for the past few weeks, while the Class 4A North Puget Sound League will begin play this month.
The area is rich with soccer talent.
In the 4A state tournament in 2019, seven of the 16 teams in the field were South Sound teams. Five of those teams came from the 4A South Puget Sound League, the most loaded league in the state.
Reigning 4A SPSL champion Puyallup won the state championship game, 2-1, over Auburn Riverside, which won the 4A NPSL Olympic last year. And Gig Harbor, a regular in the 3A state tournament, has joined the 4A SPSL as a temporary member this year.
Here are the top teams and players in the area this season:
THE TOP TEAMS
Puyallup: The reigning 4A state champion is dominating again this season. The Vikings are 5-0 on the season and have conceded just a single goal in that span. Junior midfielder Callie Lowney is relentless in Puyallup’s press, a big reason why goal-scoring chances are so limited for Puyallup’s opponents. When Puyallup turns the ball over, expect Lowney to take it right back. Defensive midfielder Ally Beavers is another strong defender, while junior goalkeeper Ally Larkin is getting Division I looks. Forward Halle Noel has been a threat in front of goal for the Viks.
Auburn Riverside: It’s worth wondering how the 4A state championship game would have gone if Samiah Shell had played. Shell, a freshman forward in 2019, was away with the United States National Team Camp during the state championship game, which Puyallup won, 2-1, over the Ravens. She had 17 goals and 27 assists in her freshman year and was a TNT All-Area first-team selection. Junior forward Kiana Gutierrez, a first-team 4A NPSL selection as a sophomore, complements Shell in the attack. She scored 20 goals and had 12 assists in 2019. The Ravens return eight starters.
Sumner: The Spartans have consistently been among the top teams in the 4A SPSL, vying for league titles with rival Puyallup. Sumner won back-to-back state titles in 2012 and 2013. The Spartans are 4-2 this season, with wins over Peninsula, Olympia, Curtis and Bellarmine Prep and losses to Puyallup and Gig Harbor. This is as young a team as coach Robi Turley has had. Sumner lost 12 seniors from the 2019 team. This season, five freshmen will start. Center mid Payton Martinson sets the tone in the middle of the field for the Spartans. “Just tough. She’s a competitor,” Turley said. “She’s got a good attitude, she’s a competitor, crazy tough. Her ability to win balls, out of the air, on the ground, 1v1.”
Gig Harbor: The Tides won the 3A state title in 2018 and come off another state tournament appearance in 2019. The Tides are playing in the 4A SPSL as a temporary member for the remainder of the school year. Gig Harbor is 6-0 this year, with wins over 4A powers Sumner and Bellarmine Prep. Junior forward Lily Paulson, junior midfielder Ella Hatteberg and junior forward Ashley Wright have the Tides scoring at a high rate this year. This will be one of the state’s premier programs in the 2021 fall season and a strong contender for the 3A title.
Bellarmine Prep: Yet another team from the 4A SPSL that reached the state tournament in 2019. TNT All-Area selection Grace Edvalds paces the Lions at forward. In 2019, she had 20 goals and 12 assists on the season. Longtime coach Joe Waters has the Lions positioned as a consistent contender in 4A every season.
Olympia: The Bears are yet another team from the 4A SPSL, but Olympia is playing its games in the 3A South Sound Conference in Thurston County this season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Olympia’s back line is its strength this season. Senior center back tandem Callie Barnett and Landrey McCann are solid and reliable for Tamara Liska’s squad, and senior defensive midfielder Grace Wilhelm is a force in front of the back line. Liska moved Wilhelm from center back to defensive mid this year. “She’s got incredible vision, a great skillset,” Liska said. “She can handle the ball really well, incredible distribution. You need someone in that role who can control possession, see the field and distribute.”
White River: The 2A SPSL member reached the state tournament quarterfinals in 2019. The Hornets are 3-0 so far this season, winning games 9-0, 6-0 and 9-0 in league. The program has made four straight state tournament appearances. “Our community really encourages and celebrates female sports and strong female athletes,” said White River coach Joe Birklid. Senior center mid Hanna Saylor and freshman forward Laura Corr are players to watch. “We play very simple, but very fast and direct,” Birklid said. “We press everything. … How quick can we win the ball back, how quick can we get forward?”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
MF Callie Lowney, Puyallup, jr.
GK Ally Larkin, Puyallup, jr.
MF Ally Beavers, Puyallup, jr.
F Halle Noel, Puyallup, sr.
F Karli Yoshida-Williams, Mount Rainier, jr.
MF Alec Baumgardt, Federal Way, sr.
MF Katelyn Sok, Thomas Jefferson, sr.
D Bridget Nolan, Tahoma, sr.
D Torie Reardon, Curtis, sr.
MF Payton Martinson, Sumner, jr.
F Rebecca Garrison, Sumner, sr.
D Camryn Brown, Sumner, fr.
MF Grace Wilhelm, Olympia, sr.
D Callie Barnett, Olympia, sr.
D Landrey McCann, Olympia, sr.
MF Hannah Saylor, White River, sr.
F Laura Corr, White River, fr.
F Lily Paulson, Gig Harbor, jr.
MF Ella Hatteberg, Gig Harbor, jr.
F Ashley Wright, Gig Harbor, jr.
MF Caroline Penner, Capital, jr.
