Highlanders top Indians 5-0

Published 10:31 am Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Right now, Hazen Soccer has no choice but to take every game and play it one half at a time. While the Highlanders are now 2-0 in Seamount League, so are their two rivals for the league championship and the No. 1 seed into the playoffs so a 5-0 win over the Renton Indians Tuesday helps their chances.

Renton came into the game at 7-2 having outscored their opponents 46-13.

“In the past we’ve handled Renton but this isn’t that team anymore,” Hazen Coach Ken Matthews said in a press release.

Hazen outshot Renton 24 to 2, but could only find the net five times.  Eight minutes into the game senior midfielder Cindy Hanson scored off an  assist from senior attacker Brianne Sherin.

It wasn’t until sixteen minutes later that senior captain and defender Gabby Brower scored unassisted. The first half ended at 2-0.

Matthews said, “We’ve struggled with our scoring so we tried a little variation on our formation. At the half we changed back and we got our game back a little.”

Sherin picked up a goal of her own 20 minutes into the second half after a cross by senior mid Kristina Holm. Hanson got her second of the night off a neat volley during a corner from Brower at the 67th minute mark. Junior Attacker Brook Swensen added the final goal off Brower’s second assist at 77:00 minutes.

“This season has kind of been the good news bad news deal,” said Hazen Coach Ken Matthews. “These last two games we’ve seen several players with great performances at keys places and times. But there are still some positions where we aren’t getting what we need.”

Matthews said he believes the Highlanders, who started the season with a handful of losses, haven’t even come close to their best game, but they have a great opportunity to do that Thursday as they travel to Highline.

“Two out of the three 3A teams are going to the playoffs. A win Thursday against Highline is a good chance for us to secure one of those two spots,” he said.