Decatur girls soccer dominates Kentlake in 4-0 win

Decatur holds a three point lead atop the NPSL standings.

By Benjamin Ray • October 22, 2024 3:30 pm

Decatur High School’s girls soccer team is on one of the best runs in school history after defeating Kentlake 4-0 on Oct. 18, moving the Gators to 12-1 so far this season.

The Gators are three points up on Enumclaw with two games remaining after the convincing win over a talented Falcon team that went to the state tournament last year. After a brutal 2-0 loss, their first of the year to the Hornets, Decatur has now won two straight, outscoring their opponents 13-0.

“They battled back from that one loss. It shows a lot about this team. It shows me that they take it one game at a time,” said Manager Sean Davis.

Decatur hasn’t seen much success on the soccer pitch in school history. Since 2000, just the boys teams have had success, winning back-to-back championships in 2000 and 2001, making the big dance six times.

For the girls, it has been 13 years since the Gators have played at the state level, but they have their eyes on the prize.

Decatur and Kentlake got out to a sluggish start, but in the 29th minute, Alexa Galmichi made a nifty move down the right sideline and kicked a perfect cross. Juliana Delucio was in the perfect spot and redirected it into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

“That is the way she is. She is always at the right place at the right time. She’s not the fastest forward, but she is a very smart player and a great finisher,” Davis said.

Then just 30 seconds later, Decatur sent a ball from deep that deflected off the head of a Kentlake defender for an attempted clearance that found the back of the net for an own goal. Decatur settled right in for a 2-0 lead and never looked back.

When the clock went under two minutes, the Gators found an insurance goal from a likely source. Delucio benefited from some hard-nosed pressing by herself, and Kaihea Tuifua found possession inside the Falcon defensive third.

Delucio took a touch, beat her defender and tucked her shot just inside the post for an eye-pleasing third goal.

Decatur has scored three or more goals in nine games this season, which is tied for the most at 3A with Enumclaw. The Gators are averaging 5.3 goals per game, the highest in the entire NPSL 3A or 4A.

“I’ve been saying to them 80 minutes. Last time we played Kentlake, we were down 2-0 in the first half and won 3-2. I tell them to keep playing for 80 minutes because anything can happen,” Davis said.

That wasn’t all the scoring for Decatur, as could-be NPSL MVP Kaihea Tuifua displayed her excellence once more and smashed a goal past the Kentlake keeper. Even Kentlake Head Coach Joe Grijalva talked about how good Tuifua is as just a sophomore.

“They are a solid team and have some really solid players. Tuifua, I want to say she’s the best player in the league right now,” Grijalva said.

She buried a shot from outside the 18-yard box for the Gators’ fourth goal of the game in the 63rd minute.

Decatur’s clean sheet was the sixth of the season, eclipsing their total of five from last season with three games to play.

“We just play one game at a time. We have people praising us that haven’t praised us before. I think they are liking how it is going, winning obviously helps … Our goal right now is to win league,” Davis said.