On September 15th, the Arlington Eagles girls soccer team faced off at home against the Bothell Cougars in Arlington’s final non-league match of the season, and the last for eleven seniors. Among those eleven seniors was team captain Olivia Larson, who got the start in just her second game back from injury. Arlington Coach Nathan Davis’ goals heading into the game were to improve, stay healthy, and get ready for league. Bothell is also a team sporting many seniors, and their experience was a matter of concern to Coach Davis, along with Bothell’s two talented midfielders, senior Makenzie Knowles and junior Madison Hommer. Throughout the contest, Arlington was successful in keeping not just Hommer and Knowles in check, but the entire Bothell squad. Arlington senior goalkeeper Kat Sanchez recorded a handful of saves, but overall, Bothell struggled to find shots against the Eagles’ suffocating defense. Shots were few and far between for each side. The halftime scoreboard read 0-0 as the teams headed to the locker rooms. The second half began similarly, with each team struggling to find much room to create scoring opportunities. The deadlock was broken up in the game’s 57th minute when Larson took an assist from Gia Tift and netted the ball for the game’s only score. Sanchez was forced to come off her line late in the game to make a diving stop as a Bothell forward slid into her. The senior goalie was able to regroup quickly as the Arlington fans inhaled collectively. After the match, Coach Davis was pleased with his team’s performance, saying they “played smart and hard.” He was especially pleased with the play of junior Tahlia Meyers.

Goals—Olivia Larson (A). Assists—Gia Tift (A)