Tahoma completes first undefeated season in years | Girls soccer

With a 1-0 win Thursday afternoon over Kentwood, Tahoma's girls soccer team completed its first undefeated regular season in at least a decade.

Senior winger Kaysha Darcy scored the lone goal for the Bears late in the first half.

Darcy ran up the right side of the field then took a ball from Bailey Martoncik somewhere between the 40 and 45 yard line. She then dribbled the ball through Kentwood's back line across the field.

As she got to the left side of the field, Darcy set herself up to take the shot."I turned my hips and then I shot," she said. "Then it floated over (the goal keeper's) finger tips. It was bouncing around then Taylor Clarin rammed her body and pushed (the ball) in."

For Tahoma, which is the top-ranked 4A girls soccer team in the state and seventh in the country according to the National Soccer Coaches Association poll, going undefeated in the regular season was significant.

"It's just a huge accomplishment after all these years," Darcy said. "It's our turn now. It's our time."

In 2012 Tahoma lost in the state title game to league rival Kentwood and finished third in state in 2011.For Darcy and the rest of this senior-laden team, what the Bears have accomplished this fall has been rewarding.

She attributes their success to the hard work they put in at practice.

And she believes that could help them do what they've not done since 2005: win a state title.

"Every year we've been so close," Darcy said. "This has to be our year."

There's one other major factor which could help. Many of the girls have played together for Tahoma all four years. That's created something special.

"It's how close we are," Darcy said. "All of us are best friends on and off the field. We just flow on the field."

Tahoma faces Puyallup for the No. 1 seed out of the South Puget Sound League into the West Central District tournament. The game is set for 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, at Federal Way Stadium.

Meanwhile, Kentridge finished the season second in the SPSL North with an 11-3-2 record and will take on the No. 2 seed from the SPSL South, Curtis.

That game is set for 8 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 30, at Sparks Stadium.Kentwood, which ended the season in third at 10-3-3, will take on Rogers, the third seed out of the South.

That game is slated for 6 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 30, at Federal Way Stadium.

All of those matches are seeding games into the district tournament which is single-elimination.

It is set for Saturday, Nov. 3, at Art Crate Stadium.

Eight teams will come out of the district tournament into the 4A state bracket.

 

Contact Covington Reporter Assisitant Editor Kris Hill at khill@maplevalleyreporter.com or (425) 432-1209, ext. 5054.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.