Wolves turn their game up a notch

No one will argue that South Kitsap sophomore Courtney Brown likes a challenge.

“I was making the joke with her that she just had to flick it in there one-on-one,” South coach Scott Sodorff said. “I told her it was too easy, she has to have a little more difficult situation. It’s one of the more impressive shots I’ve seen.”

Brown missed the easy shot, but scored on an assist from Courtney Mayo on an acrobatic kick in the 38th minute as South earned a 3-0 Narrows League girls soccer win against North Kitsap Thursday at Joe Knowles Field.

“I was so ready to score after all the misses I had,” said Brown, who has six goals this season. “I just controlled it, turned and took the shot.”

Nicole Padmos also scored on an assist from Christina Boddie in the 8th and Tori Fairweather added the final goal in the 38th on a long shot from the right side of the field on an assist by Caitlin Daniels.

The match took on extra importance as the Wolves (8-2-1 overall, 6-2-0 league) jostle for position in the top-heavy Narrows. “I definitely thought we would be up for the game,” Brown said. “We definitely had been thinking about how we needed to win.”

Sodorff simply described it as “huge.”

“Now we’re getting down to the spot where points matter,” he said. “We kind of control our own destiny and I like our position.”

As usual, the Wolves’ defense played a large role in that. South has allowed just seven goals this season, tied for the third fewest in the league entering the week. Sodorff cited senior defender Kaileigh Westermann’s play against the Vikings as a major reason for the Wolves’ success. South had an 11-1 shots on goal advantage.

“Westermann probably was a big reason for that because she was roaming the middle and cutting down the passes inside,” he said.

The coach also was pleased with Sarah Milne and Alyssa Nystrom, who he said “did a great job of locking down their forwards.”

Milne said many of the Wolves play together during club season and the familiarity with one another has benefited the team.

“We’re just communicating so much,” she said. “We’re stepping up and taking it to the next level.”

That includes sophomore goalkeeper Holly Sieler, who has started three consecutive matches since senior Monique Morey suffered a concussion at Lincoln.

“She’s just stepping up so much,” Milne said. “The whole team appreciates it.”

Sodorff said Morey should be cleared to play as the Wolves enter the final week of the regular season with a 6:30 p.m. Tuesday match at Mount Tahoma and a 3:30 p.m. Thursday contest against Bellarmine Prep.

“It will be an emotional night for our 11 seniors wearing maroon and gold for the last time at home,” Sodorff said. “We want to go out with a bang.”

As one of those seniors, Milne said she’s excited for what’s ahead.

“We just need to keep our intensity up and keep working hard,” she said. “We’re ready for the challenge.”

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.