The Ridgefield Spudders rallied twice Saturday in the championship match and won the program’s first state title in girls soccer. Photo courtesy Brynan Shipley

Spudders rallied to tie championship match twice in the second half, then beat West Valley of Spokane in penalty kicks

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

The Ridgefield Spudders made school history Saturday evening, capturing the school’s first state championship in girls soccer.

Ridgefield rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit and then a 2-1 deficit late in the match, forced overtime, then won the Class 2A state title in penalty kicks (3-1) to take down top-seed West Valley of Spokane at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma.

Senior Ava Kruckenberg put the ball in the net to clinch the penalty kicks, kicking off a celebration that could be heard from Tacoma to Ridgefield.

Brielle Suomi had Ridgefield’s first goal of the night to tie the match in the second half.

West Valley took the lead again, but with about five minutes left in regulation, Ellie Wilson scored for the Spudders to tie the match.

Ridgefield controlled possession for most of the second half and both overtimes, as well. The Spudders just missed winning the match in regulation, with shots coming just seconds apart that were barely off target.

Ridgefield got off to a fast start in penalty kicks when Victoria Lasch scored. Then Ridgefield goalkeeper Gabriela Semlick got a save.

Both teams missed in the second round. West Valley made a save on Ridgefield’s third kick, and West Valley tied the series with its goal.

Nora Martin scored in the fourth round for Ridgefield. It appeared Semlick got a hand on West Valley’s attempt, and the ball ricocheted off the crossbar for a miss.

That set up Kruckenberg with a chance to win it.

She delivered.

Ridgefield came into the tournament the seventh seed. After the Spudders won their opening round with ease, they beat the No. 2 seed, Fife, then No. 3, Columbia River, and finally, the top seed in West Valley.

Clark County Today hopes to meet with the team in the coming days for a follow-up report on the state champions.

Columbia River, meanwhile, bounced back from Friday’s semifinal loss to Ridgefield and won the third-place match, 2-1 over East Valley of Yakima.

In Class 1A, La Center finished fourth — the best finish in program history. La Center lost in the semifinals on Friday night, then fell to Montesano in the third-place match Saturday.

In Class 3A volleyball, the Prairie Falcons made it to the quarterfinals on Friday before losing, then won two matches Saturday to claim the fifth-place trophy.

In Class 4A volleyball, the Camas Papermakers finished in sixth place after reaching the state quarterfinals on Friday.