‘Fired up’ Gig Harbor soccer rolling early, undefeated. Can Tides win it all?
One thing was clear during Gig Harbor’s 6-1 win against Lakes at Harry Lang Stadium on Tuesday night: the Tides have plenty of firepower. Five different Tides scored goals in the win, led by freshman Violet Lester’s two goals.
A bonus: the comfortable win happened without senior midfielder Elizaeth Hayes and sophomore forward Nadia Schwab, two of the team’s top players. By half, Gig Harbor led 5-0 and the game was decided.
“Our team’s really able to stay composed and just shift the ball as a team and I mean, everyone can shoot the ball,” senior midfielder Sage Sturrock said after the game.
Gig Harbor is 3-0 with the win over Lakes and a 10-0 win over North Thurston in league play. But the real tell was a 2-1 road win over 4A state tournament regular Puyallup last Saturday. It’s the sort of win that gives Gig Harbor belief it can win the Class 3A state title this year.
“It gives us a lot of confidence,” said speedy senior forward Karin Heikkila. “We always feel like we go in not expecting to do as well, and then we go in like, ‘Wait, we can actually win this game.’”
Sturrock, a bully on the ball who showed her ability to overpower defenders and set up teammates several times against Lakes — including on a header goal from a corner kick — said she’s noticed a different tone in early-season practices this fall.
“We’ve kept practices very competitive from the beginning,” she said. “Everyone knows what they have to do to get far in state this year, so I think we’re really just starting that off in the beginning rather than picking that up toward the end. We’re just trying to hold that all the way through.”
Second-year coach Robyn Saathoff has noticed, too.
“This is the first year of practice that they step on the field and they’re giving 100 percent,” she said. “They are thinking, ‘I want to be here in two months.’ … This is the first year they really finally get that everything they do in practice is playing out in the game, and they’re working hard in practice.”
Offensively, Heikkila, Sturrock, Lester, Hayes, Schwab and others form a formidable attack. Defensively, senior Molly Leverett shuts down everything in her vicinity. Ella Conrad, the team’s top goalkeeper, is still working back from injury. If Gig Harbor stays healthy, this team is loaded enough to win the whole thing.
Gig Harbor won the Class 3A state title in 2018, beating Holy Names 2-1 in the state championship game. That team was led by TNT 2018 All-Area player of the year Alyssa Gray, who scored 36 goals and had 10 assists in her junior season.
And while there’s still plenty of time between now and the postseason, wins like the one that came against Puyallup have created a buzz within this year’s group.
“I think the girls were pretty fired up, in general,” assistant coach Marla Klipper said of the Puyallup game.
For what it’s worth, Sturrock and Heikkila both believe this is the best Gig Harbor team they’ve seen in their four years in the program.
“I think it’s way more well-rounded than our other groups,” Heikkila said. “Obviously, last year’s team was really well-rounded, too. But I feel like we just have more scoring opportunities and our team chemistry.”
Sturrock said the team’s unselfishness stands out, too.
“Gig Harbor has always been known to have their top-tier players, but this year, everyone is just mentally so prepared and ready, wanting to share the ball and really go as a team,” she said.
More tests on the horizon: a matchup Thursday against crosstown rival Peninsula, a non-league contest against 4A SPSL opponent Sumner on Saturday and Bellarmine Prep next week.
“They never give up, they just pump each other up and finish strong,” Saathoff said.
This story was originally published September 17, 2025 at 12:00 PM.
