Another impressive run by the Todd Beamer girls soccer team ended Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A State Tournament.
The Gig Harbor Tides tallied the lone goal of the match at Purdy’s Roy Anderson Stadium to advance into the state semifinals, 1-0.
Gig Harbor’s Kailyn Tovey scored with just 15 minutes remaining in the match to lead the unranked Tides over the third-ranked Titans. It was the second loss by Beamer in their last four matches.
The Titans (15-2-3) rolled through their South Puget Sound League South Division regular season schedule without a defeat. But the unbeaten streak was ended by Kentwood in the SPSL title game. Beamer did, however, bounce back to beat Curtis in the West Central District Tournament and dominated Issaquah, 4-0, in the opening round of the Class 4A State Tournament.
Unlike against Issaquah, the Titans’ offense just couldn’t figure out the Gig Harbor (15-3-3) defense Saturday. Led by sophomore goalkeeper Aubrey Lindberg, the Tides stonewalled the usually potent Beamer attackers. Lindberg posted her ninth shutout of the season by making five saves against the Titans.
The Beamer defense, led by goalkeeper Meghan Graf, was also impressive during the 1-0 loss. Graf, who finished the season with 13 shutouts, made nine saves during the defeat. But it wasn’t enough.
In the semifinals at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup on Friday, Gig Harbor will play fifth-ranked Bellarmine Prep, a 2-0 quarterfinal winner over South Kitsap on Saturday. The two play against each other in the Narrows League during the season.
Sarurday’s loss was the third time the Titans’ girls soccer program has played in the Class 4A State Tournament. Beamer lost in the state title match to Eastlake, 2-1, in a shootout in 2007 and lost in the quarterfinals in 2009 to Skyline 1-0.
The Titans and head coach Joel Lindberg will lose nine seniors to graduation, including Danali Pavlich-Wheeler, Janell Carlson, Rachel Broberg, Breanna Straus, Sydney Rogalla, Jasmine Brilliante, Lindsey Richou, Autumn Talney and Graf.
