Montesano and Elma played in the district-semifinal round while Aberdeen tried to keep its season alive as we review Thursday’s Twin Harbor girls prep soccer games.

GIRLS PREP SOCCER

Montesano 3, Seton Catholic 2

Trailing by a goal late in their 1A District 4 semifinal game against Seton Catholic, the Montesano Bulldogs came up clutch.

Goals by Bethanie Henderson and Addi Kersker in the final seven minutes of the game erased a 2-1 deficit to give Montesano a 3-2 victory on Thursday at Jack Rottle Field in Montesano.

Monte (12-4-2 overall) got the only goal of a first half dominated by back-and-fourth midfield play when junior midfielder Sam Roundtree sent a high-arcing cross in toward the front of the Cougars net. Bulldogs freshman forward Jaelyn Butterfield got the the ball first, heading it into the top far corner for a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute.

PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano forward Jaelyn Butterfield, right, is congratulated by senior Mikayla Stanfield (10) during the Bulldogs’ 3-2 win over Seton Catholic in the 1A District 4 semifinals on Thursday in Montesano.

Monte would carry its one-goal lead into the second half, where the Bulldogs would face a Seton Catholic offensive barrage.

The Cougars (13-5) found success against the Monte defense by taking angled runs deep into Bulldogs territory then sending dangerous crosses across the Monte goal box.

The pressure finally paid off for Seton Catholic when GG Lougen was fouled in the back by Montesano’s Alexa Stanfield, earning the Cougars a penalty-kick opportunity.

Cougars sophomore CJ Moore converted the penalty kick past diving Monte keeper Riley Timmons to tie the game at a goal apiece in the 51st minute.

Seton Catholic continued to apply pressure to Monte’s defense throughout the half and earned a corner kick with just under 10 minutes left in regulation.

Cougars sophomore forward Hailey Herboth arced the corner kick toward Monte’s far post. The ball slipped through several players and deflected off the hip of Moore and in for a goal in the 71st minute, giving Seton Catholic a 2-1 lead with less than 10 minutes to play.

With time winding down and fortunes looking bleak for Montesano, the Bulldogs turned to one of its unheralded stars in senior midfielder Bethanie Henderson.

Henderson – a steady, competent midfielder that has come up with key goals throughout the season – lined up to take a free kick after a Seton Catholic foul gave Monte a golden opportunity just outside the top of the Cougars 18-yard box.

As she has done multiple times this year, Henderson produced in the game’s critical moments, slotting a well-placed low shot past screened Cougars keeper Hailey Hammerstrom and inside the near post to tie the game up at 2-all and breathe new life in the Monte faithful.

“I saw the goalie standing toward the middle and I saw a gap between the wall and the post. I was just really focusing on trying to get my placement right and not over-shoot it,” Henderson said of her approach to the game-tying goal. “I was really focusing on trying to get it down and I was so thankful. In my head I was like, ‘OK Lord, please just guide this ball, grab my feet and help me get it in,’ and he did.”

Henderson, who has scored several long free-kick goals late in games this season, said she took a different mindset to score in the semifinal.

“The mindset I had going into it was that I was taking a penalty-kick shot more than a free kick from distance,” she said. “Normally on my free kicks, I just try to get it there. This one, I was really just trying to place it.”

“Bethanie has been an all-star for us in the absence of (injured forward) Mikayla (Stanfield),” Monte head coach Fidel Sanchez said. “She’s been ‘it’.”

Five minutes later, a Montesano duo that hasn’t been seen on the pitch for a month combined to score what could be one of the most memorable goals in Bulldogs playoff history.

Henderson booted a long free kick into Cougars territory, where standout senior forward Mikayla Stanfield – playing in her first game back after an injury – collected the ball amidst a trio of Seton Cathlolic defenders and dropped a pass back to defensive midfielder Addi Kersker, who was also playing in her first game back from injury.

Kersker stepped into a left-footed shot from 30-yards out and let one loose. The ball arced toward the top corner of the Cougars net with pace. Hammerstrom leaped and got both hands on the ball, but it was all for not as Kersker’s shot deflected into the back of the net to put Monte up 3-2 just before stoppage time.

“I just knew I had to give it my all. There was barely any time left and I know I had to do this for my team, especially in this important of a game in my first game back,” Kersker said of her game-winner. “It felt amazing. It’s my first game back in a month and that just felt like validation. I knew I was meant to be back.”

A few minutes later, the referee’s whistle blew, sending Monte into the district final and earning the Bulldogs the program’s 15th consecutive berth in the state tournament.

The improbable comeback – scoring two goals in the final seven minutes of the game – was completed in part due to mental toughness, according to Henderson.

“Right when (Seton Catholic) scored (their second goal), we really focused on everybody keeping their heads up, play together and don’t stress out to where you are going to make mistakes,” she said. “We just kept going and worked together.”

For Coach Sanchez, the win was a character-revealing one.

“It’s special because of the character of it all. We showed strong character,” he said, acknowledging he struggled to find the tactics to slow the Cougars in the second half. “Any time you play a Seton Catholic team, it’s going to be a battle. … To play like that and win against a pretty good team, I’m a pretty happy coach.”

PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano’s Addi Kersker (4) and Seton Catholic’s Kaia Lauder play for possession during Monte’s 3-2 victory in a 1A District 4 semifinal game on Thursday in Montesano.

Montesano will face La Center for the 1A District 4 championship at 5 p.m. Saturday at Tenino High School.

It will be the Bulldogs’ ninth-consecutive appearance in the district-title game, with the program’s only win during that span coming in the 2020 COVID-shortened season that was played in 2021.

“We have struggled in the past in the district championship,” Kersker said. “But I know we’re going to bring it. This team has heart and I know we’re going to make it good.”

Seton Catholic 0 2 – 2

Montesano 1 2 – 3

Scoring

First half – 1, Montesano, Butterfield (Roundtree), 17th minute.

Second half – 2, Seton Catholic, Moore, 51st minute. 3, Seton Catholic, Moore, 71st minute. 4, Montesano, Henderson, 73rd minute. 5, Montesano, Kersker (M. Stanfield), 78th minute.

La Center 2, Elma 1

Elma’s reign as 1A District 4 champions came to an end on Thursday with a 2-1 loss to La Center in a district-semifinal match at La Center High School.

The Eagles (14-4) trailed 1-0 after a first half that saw the Wildcats (15-2) get the better of the chances.

But after making halftime adjustments, the Eagles controlled the pace of play over the final 40 minutes of the contest.

The Eagles tied the game when senior midfielder Addison Burgher sent a low cross near the top of the 18-yard box to standout junior forward Beta Valentine, who scored on a hard, low shot that tipped off a defender’s foot in the 55th minute.

The game went into overtime with both teams taking their shots at the golden goal.

One minute into the second five-minute overtime period, La Center’s Mikaela Bright sent a cross toward the front of the Eagles net from the corner. Wildcats senior forward Madisen Newbury got her foot to the ball and chipped it in for the 2-1 victory.

“This was very much a game of a tale of two halves,” Elma head coach Evan Valentine said. “The first half, they did a lot better than us. In the second half, we did a lot better than them. At the end of the day, when you have a game that close, it comes down to one little thing.”

Coach Valentine said his team was “bummed” about the loss but still has much to play for with a state-tournament berth at stake.

“It was tough, it was hard fought, but it isn’t over,” he said. “We play again and can still go to state. Everything is still there for the taking.”

Elma will face Seton Catholic in a winner-to-state elimination game at 3 p.m. on Saturday in Tenino.

Coach Valentine said he has confidence his team can reach the state tournament for a second-consecutive season.

“You try to rest and prepare as best we can. Really all you can do is recoup. We’re going to need everybody at their best,” he said. “I know it’s a game we can win, but there is no doubt they are a good team. … I’m confident in my team and expect us to take care of business.”

Elma 0 1 0 0 – 1

La Center 1 0 0 1 – 2

Scoring

First half – 1, La Center, n/a.

Second half – 2, Elma, Valentine (Burgher), 55th minute.

First overtime – None.

Second overtime – 3, La Center, Newbury (Bright).

Tumwater 4, Aberdeen 1

Aberdeen’s season came to an end with a 4-1 loss to Tumwater in the 2A District 4 Tournament on Thursday in Tumwater.

The Bobcats (9-8) were knotted up in a scoreless tie against the Thunderbirds (16-1-1) for much of the first half until a shot that was saved by Cats senior keeper Jaylynn Phimmasone was rebounded out to T-Birds forward Emalyn Shaffer, who put the ball into the net for a 1-0 lead at the half.

After the break, the Tumwater attack wore down the Bobcats defense, which was without senior defender Madison Marlow for the second straight game due to injury.

Shaffer added a goal in the 46th minute with Kayla Pope scoring in the 67th minute and on a penalty kick four minutes later for a 4-0 lead.

Aberdeen broke the shutout when Scotlyn Lecomte scored off an assist from senior forward Annie Troeh in the 78th minute.

“Great hustle again by our squad,” Aberdeen head coach Larry Fleming said. “I can’t say enough about their continued effort even after going down a couple of goals.”

Seniors Phimmasone, Troeh, Zoe Troeh and Esmerelda Vega were all commended by Fleming for “playing well” in their final high school game.

Aberdeen 0 1 — 1

Tumwater 1 3 — 4

Scoring

First half – 1, Tumwater, Shaffer, 37th minute.

Second half – 2, Tumwater, Shaffer, 46th minute. 3, Tumwater, Pope, 67th minute. 4, Tumwater, Pope, 71st minute. 5, Aberdeen, Lecomte (A. Troeh), 78th minute.