A stalemate on the soccer field

Bellevue overcomes two-goal deficit in second half.

By Shaun Scott • September 17, 2018 12:43 pm
Bellevue players celebrate after scoring a goal against the Lake Washington Kangaroos. Bellevue trailed Lake Washington 2-0 at halftime but scored two goals in the second half to tie the game. After two-five minute overtime sessions, the game ended in a 2-2 draw on Sept. 13 at Bellevue High School. Photo courtesy of Rick Edelman/Rick Edelman Photography
Bellevue players celebrate after scoring a goal against the Lake Washington Kangaroos. Bellevue trailed Lake Washington 2-0 at halftime but scored two goals in the second half to tie the game. After two-five minute overtime sessions, the game ended in a 2-2 draw on Sept. 13 at Bellevue High School. Photo courtesy of Rick Edelman/Rick Edelman Photography

Things looked bleak for the Bellevue Wolverines girls soccer team at halftime in a 3A KingCo matchup against the Lake Washington Kangaroos.

Lake Washington scored two first half goals (Emma Escbach scored in the 10th minute, Taylor Welle scored in the 27th minute), taking a 2-0 lead at halftime.

The Wolverines never buckled despite the deficit.

Bellevue cut Lake Washington’s lead to 2-1 on a Grace Nesbitt goal in the 52nd minute. Nesbitt maneuvered through the Lake Washington defense before uncorking a shot that found the lower left corner of the goal. With less than two minutes left in regulation, Bellevue tied the game at 2-2 on a spectacular goal from Wolverines junior team captain Courtney Serres. Serres, who was taking a corner kick from the left side of the field, connected on a perfect shot that found the back of the net on the far right post, tying the game.

The game went to overtime and neither team scored in the two five-minute overtime sessions as the Wolverines and Kangaroos battled to a 2-2 tie on Sept. 13 at Bellevue Memorial Stadium.

Bellevue head coach Peter Cochran was thrilled to see his team rebound after a shaky first half. The Wolverines overall record during the 2018 season thus far is 0-2-2.

“Our team showed me something and showed themselves something. We showed a lot of grit, which is required to come back like we did. Lake Washington is traditionally a very strong team and they will be there (playoff hunt) at the end of the season,” Cochran said. “I could not be prouder of the girls for how they battled back and tied the game. Every time we play against Lake Washington, it is a very tightly contested game. We haven’t started as strong as we have in years past and we needed a game where some things started going right for us.”

Lake Washington head coach Ashton Staudacher remained upbeat despite the draw against one of their biggest rivals. Lake Washington currently has an overall record of 3-1-1 at this juncture of the 2018 season.

“It is always a fun game. We love playing Bellevue. You know you are going to get a good game of soccer. Peter is a great coach and always has a good game-plan,” Staudacher said of Cochran. “They (Bellevue) came out and battled. One of their athletes (Serres) scored a stellar goal off of a corner kick. I told our girls there is not a whole lot you can do to defend that. Kudos to that kid. We came out and battled and gave it everything we had. That is all I can ask for.”

Staudacher expects her team to contend for a 3A KingCo title in late October.

“We definitely want to win KingCo. It is not out of reach,” she said.