POULSBO — Two first-half goals, one by air and one by land, helped propel the Olympic Trojans to a 3-1 win over North Kitsap last Thursday.
The first shot, a boot by Trojan forward Emily Tracy, seemed to rise like an elevator before falling back to earth past NK goalie Lacey Cooper.
That shot, in the 32nd minute, was followed less than two minutes later when a short pass found midfielder Lindsay Neste on the left side of the goal. Neste’s skittering shot made it into goal, and the Trojans had a 2-0 lead right before halftime.
The Vikings, already smarting from a 3-2 loss to South Kitsap earlier in the week, didn’t waste time getting on the scoreboard themselves in the second half.
In the 43rd minute, speedy forward Rosie Zadra dribbled into the Olympic defense, then dribbled farther and farther until, at the last moment, she booted a short pass to a cutting Megan Hyte.
Hyte knocked the ball into goal to cut the Trojans’ lead to 2-1.
While the Vikings had several opportunities to score in the second half, it was the Trojans who converted next.
Emily Tracy’s penalty kick found the right corner only two minutes after the Vikings’ goal, and the Trojans’ lead was two goals again, 3-1.
Trojans coach Steve Haggerty said the third goal was a big one, especially coming on the heels of a Vikings’ score.
“North is the kind of team that seizes on momentum,” Haggerty said. “It was good to stop that momentum.”
The Vikings mounted a charge late in the second half, but blasts by Abby Tillotson and Mariah Hanson were stopped by Olympic keeper Katie Sweet, and the Vikings suffered their second loss in a week.
Haggerty said the Trojans (4-1-3) were happy to get out of North Kitsap with a win, which is usually a difficult task.
“North is a tough team at home,” he said.
North Kitsap head coach Teri Ishihara had been pleased by the way the injury-plagued Vikings had played against South Kitsap, when Rosie Zadra twice tied the game with goals. Ishihara was less pleased by the effort against Olympic.
“I think we came out flat in the beginning of the game. We dug ourselves a hole,” she said.
The Vikings (3-3-2 in league ) will visit Bremerton at 7 p.m. on Oct. 15, then host Gig Harbor on Oct. 17.
