Coope scores twice, Bailey adds another goal to pace Stadium past Lincoln
Nico Coope scored a pair of goals and Cole Bailey added another to propel Stadium High School soccer past Lincoln on Thursday night at Stadium Bowl.
The 3-1 victory gives the Tigers some momentum late in the regular season, and a key win in the second round of Class 3A Pierce County League play.
Stadium (4-6-3, 4-3-3 3A PCL) earned wins over Mount Tahoma and Bonney Lake during the first set of league matches, played league-leading Silas and Spanaway Lake to draws, and dropped their only loss in the first six 3A PCL matches on the road at Lincoln Bowl, 4-2, in late March.
Winning the rematch against Lincoln on a rain-soaked evening in Tacoma gives the Tigers a boost as the postseason draws near.
“It’s all just been about building back, and trying to get our team right and try to get in the playoffs,” Coope said.
Thursday’s win keeps Stadium in good position to secure one of the 3A PCL’s playoff spots, and was the first victory for the Tigers in the second set of league matches.
After playing Silas to a 1-1 draw in the first meeting between the two programs in March, Silas shut out the Tigers, 3-0, in the second meeting last week.
Stadium then posted a 1-1 draw against Lakes before dropping a 2-0 loss on the road against Spanaway Lake last week.
Against the Abes, the Tigers consistently created pressure early, but didn’t get a clean look until Coope sent the game’s opening goal into the net at the 20-minute mark.
Bailey corralled a long pass from midfield between a pair of Abes defenders, and managed to get Coope a clear shot a few feet away.
Coope then sent the short pass past Lincoln’s goalkeeper and into the lower right corner from about 15 yards out.
“I give all the credit to Cole right there,” Stadium’s sophomore forward said. “He worked it all out, and then I asked him just to try and lay it back, do anything to get it back to me, and then I got the strike there.”
Stadium held the 1-0 lead through the break, but Lincoln was quick to draw level in the second half.
The Abes earned an early corner less than four minutes in, and Giovanni Villeda-Campos, set up on the far side, knocked the equalizer into the back of the net from just in front of the goal following a deflection off a Tigers defender.
Both sides created several chances as the second half continued, but it wasn’t until the 52nd minute that the Tigers took the lead for good.
Coope snagged a Lincoln pass attempt near midfield and sent it ahead to midfielder Emmet McDonough on the run. McDonough pushed another short pass across to Bailey, who sidestepped a Lincoln defender before burying what turned out to be the game-winner in the back of the goal.
Stadium’s second goal proved enough, but the Tigers added a third in the 78th minute to seal the victory.
Coope made a run down the left sideline before passing ahead to Bailey, who promptly crossed it back to Coope in the center of the field.
Coope — who leads the Tigers this season with seven goals — was quick to add his second goal of the evening from about 10 yards out.
“Huge,” Coope said of giving Stadium a 3-1 advantage in the closing minutes. “That just gave us the comfort in that game for sure.”
Stadium has two league matches remaining next week against Mount Tahoma and Bonney Lake as the regular season wraps up.
Lincoln (4-3-3, 4-3-2) has rival Silas, Lakes and Spanaway Lake remaining on its 3A PCL schedule.
Silas remains undefeated in league play at 7-0-1, but several more programs are still in postseason contention.
“We’re still going game by game, just trying to get these wins, these points to try and get second, is what we’re fighting for,” Coope said. “But, we’re also looking at playoffs, the big picture.”
This story was originally published April 21, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
