Hazen soccer season ends with playoff loss to Kentridge

Hazen finished the year 8-8-2 overall.

The Hazen girls soccer team’s season came to an end Thursday as the Highlanders dropped a loser-out game to conference-leader Kentridge 1-0.

The two teams battled it out with a nil-nil score for most of the game, but with 10 minutes left in the match, Kentridge was able to put the ball in the net off a free kick to move on to the state tournament this weekend. Hazen has a few chances to tie the game, but just couldn’t put one through.

The Highlanders were underdogs coming into the game, having lost to Kentridge twice this season by a combined score of 11-2.

The Highlanders started their year in a bit of a slump, racking up a 3-6-0 record in the first half of play. But Hazen turned it around midseason and went on a 5-2-2 run to make the playoffs, with the only two losses coming to Kentridge.

“There’s a lot of good to take from this game and the second half of the season, but the results tonight just stink,” Coach Ken Matthews said in an email. “I know the girls and I would rather still be playing.”

Hazen finished the year 8-8-2 overall and 6-6-2 in their first year in the North Puget Sound League. The Highlanders had to opt up to a 4A school in order to play in the NPSL.