Sarah Dove scored a goal with about 10 minutes left in regulation to propel the Skyline Spartans to a 1-0 win over the Mount Si Wildcats in a loser-out first-round game of the Kingco 3A girls’ soccer playoffs last Tuesday at Skyline High School in Sammamish. Skyline moved on in the playoffs, while the Wildcats’ promise-filled season came to a heartbreaking end.

“They had the advantage on the surface, [and] the ball, and that just didn’t bounce our way this time. We tried our best, but I guess we just broke down,” said the Wildcats’ sophomore defender Kali Roestel as the team’s run came to a bitter end on a cold night.

Wildcat coach Darren Brown praised Skyline’s preparedness.

“Skyline played us real well tonight. Matt Olson [Skyline head coach] did a fine job. He utilized his defense and midfield real magically and shut us down. I mean my hat’s off to him. They played a real good match and we just didn’t play up to our level,” said Brown.

The game was an up-and-down affair, with few good scoring chances for either side. Skyline came close midway through the first half when a corner kick deflected off the goal post and away from the net.

Mount Si’s Whitney Chelgren responded in the 33rd minute by taking a header off a free kick and firing it on net, only to be stopped by Skyline goalkeeper Alison Miyauchi.

The weather seemed to affect Mount Si’s play, particularly in the first half. The Wildcats didn’t appear to be as aggressive as they were against Sammamish in their previous game, especially on defense.

Mount Si came close in the 65th minute when a scoring chance off a corner kick was stopped by a Skyline defender standing in front of the Spartans’ net. Had that defender not been there, the Wildcats would have scored.

With the game appearing to be headed into overtime, Dove went into action.

In the 70th minute, Dove broke in for a scoring attempt. The Wildcats’ freshman goalkeeper Jessica Blessard, who performed valiantly in all three of the games she has played in since being put to work in place of injured senior goalie Caitlin Braun, tried to cut off Dove’s attempt, but failed. Dove then chipped the ball into the open net to give the Spartans the lead. The Wildcats were unable to respond, and Skyline pulled off the upset.

The Wildcats finished with a 10-5-2 mark this season and with several top players coming back next year, this team has the potential to be something special yet again.

“[We have] a lot of things to look forward to and I’m real proud of these girls,” said Brown. “We had a good season and we went real far. You know, going into the season we were predicted [to finish] ninth, and we turned a lot of heads this year. We got a lot of good ones coming back, so we’ll be all right.”

Among those players not coming back is senior star forward Kristen Berndt, who will be graduating.

Roestel says the team will adjust.

“It’s going to be a tough loss but, I mean, every time we don’t seem to have her we seem to step up, so I think we’re going to have to step up next year. We’ll be fine,” said Roestel. “We’re going farther next year. I mean, it’s the first year with our new coach. He made things happen for us and I think we are going to go farther next year.”