PORTLAND – Ranked fourth in the nation by United Soccer Coaches, Jesuit's girls team hasn't dealt with many high-stress situations this season, putting most of its matches away early.
But when Beaverton applied some heat on top-seeded Jesuit in Tuesday night's 6A semifinal – twice drawing within one goal in the second half – the host Crusaders answered swiftly on their way to a 5-2 win.
“There were times when it got a little scary because they would come back, so it was important for us to keep our calm and get the job done,” Jesuit junior forward Natalie Webber said. “They teach us, respond fast, respond quick.”
After the fourth-seeded Beavers got within 2-1 in the 46th minute on a goal by senior Lucy Hays, Jesuit (18-0-1) needed only 44 seconds to restore its lead, with Webber converting a pass from sophomore Aaliyah Johnson to make it 3-1.
And when Beaverton cut the lead to 3-2 in the 68th minute on a penalty kick by senior Olivia Hays, the Crusaders pushed their edge back to 4-2 two minutes later when Webber punched in a shot from 15 yards to finish a two-on-one breakout with Johnson.
It was the kind of resilience that pleased longtime coach Steve Fennah.
“The grittiness came out,” Fennah said. “That's gutsy. That shows the character of our kids. There's a lot of talk about quality, but I don't know a team that works harder, either.”
Webber added another goal, off a corner kick in the 79th minute, to complete a hat trick. She also assisted senior Ana Kubiaczyk with Jesuit's first goal midway through the first half.
“She's been fantastic,” Fennah said of Webber, who has a team-high 30 goals. “Quality player. But tonight, she also created opportunities for other people.”
Jesuit took a 2-0 lead into halftime – also getting a goal by junior Vega Arancibia, assisted by Kubiaczyk – but the Crusaders knew they had plenty of work left to put away Metro League rival Beaverton (15-2-2). Their 6-1 win at Beaverton on Oct. 16 was the Beavers' only loss this season.
“We knew going into this game it was going to be a lot more difficult than the first time,” Webber said. “Since we already played them and came out with a win, we knew they were going to come out hard, and we had to match that.”
The Beavers made Jesuit work on defense.
“They've got a lot of good attacking players, so they're going to create,” Fennah said. “They're always going to cause some problems. I thought we dealt with it largely well. They had a few spells where they obviously caused us a lot of difficulty.”
Beaverton coach Chelsey Evans praised her team's performance.
“I think we played fantastic,” Evans said. “I think the score isn't necessarily that telling. Jesuit is just a powerhouse. They're tough to compete with. We're some homegrown talent that worked hard, played hard, and gave Jesuit a run for their money. It wasn't an easy win for them at all.”
Jesuit, which has outscored its opponents 109-8 this season, will go for a repeat title and 17th overall Saturday when it faces No. 2 West Linn at Hillsboro Stadium. The Crusaders know they enter as prohibitive favorites.
“Winning the championship last year obviously gives us a target on our back, but I think we honestly just live up to it,” Johnson said. “We haven't lost yet. … Every time we step on the field, we play with grit and we play for each other. I believe we're getting stronger every year.”
Said Webber: “We just try to stay as humble as possible. We work as hard as we can because we just want to prove to everybody what we can do.”
Highlights from Tuesday's other semifinal matches:
6A
No. 2 West Linn outlasted No. 3 Lincoln in a penalty kick shootout to earn a shot at Jesuit in the final. Kylee Schreck scored on a breakaway in the fifth minute to put West Linn ahead 1-0. Lincoln made it 1-1 in the 14th minute when Juliette Azizi converted a cross from Margo Jackson. The Lions regained the lead in the 20th minute, Brystol Leslie scoring on a set piece initiated by Schreck. Rose Sandell answered for the Cardinals four minutes later, taking a pass from Frances Reuland and beating the goalkeeper one-on-one to tie 2-2. In the shootout, the Lions won behind successful penalty kicks from Kylee Schreck, Leslie, Amira Mullen, Ellis Highland and Caitlyn Schreck. West Linn, which lost to Jesuit 1-0 in the 2022 final, has never won a title.
5A
Wilsonville's four-year reign in 5A came to an end with a 3-1 loss to No. 2 Bend in a rematch of last year's final. The Lava Bears struck in the third minute on a header by Harper Moffenbier off a Shea Manfredi corner kick, and Meredith King made it 2-0 one minute later off a cross by Manfredi. The No. 3 Wildcats got their only goal in the sixth minute (Bella Moultrie), but Bend pushed the lead back to 3-1 in the 17th minute on a goal by Manfredi, assisted by Tatyana Fobi. The Lava Bears haven't won a title since 2009. … Top-seeded North Eugene/Triangle Lake raised its record to 17-0 by turning back No. 4 Summit 1-0. Camden Dewitt scored on a shot from about 30 yards out in the 37th minute for the Highlanders. North Eugene, runner-up in 2023, has never won a title.
4A
No. 2 The Dalles/Dufur advanced to the final for the first time in dramatic fashion, beating No. 3 Scappoose 2-1 on a goal with four seconds left. Ariana Gonzalez stole the ball from a defender inside the box and punched a left-footed shot inside the right post, setting off a wild celebration. The Dalles got its first goal in the ninth minute on a free kick by Natalia Elias, and Scappoose drew even in the 24th minute on Amalie Anderson's 40th goal of the season. … No. 1 Marist Catholic moved into position to repeat with a convincing 4-0 win over No. 4 Henley. The Spartans led 2-0 at half, getting goals from Libby McLaughlin in the 15th minute and Kiara Philyaw in the 38th minute. They made it 3-0 two minutes into the second half when Tori Sherman found the net. McLaughlin added a penalty kick in the 62nd minute to finish the scoring. With one assist, McLaughlin extended her state records for a single season (40) and career (97).
3A/2A/1A
No. 2 seed Amity, which lost in the semifinals in 2022 and 2023, earned its first trip to the final with a 1-0 win over No. 3 Creswell at McMinnville High School. Eliza Nisly made a penalty kick in the 12th minute after her sister, Adie, was taken down in the box. Creswell also was bidding for its first finals berth. … Valley Catholic, the top seed, knocked out Special District 1 rival Oregon Episcopal 2-1, the same score as their Oct. 7 match. The Valiants took a 1-0 lead in the 76th minute when Evelyn Elliott scored off an assist by Calista Everson, then made it 2-0 one minute later when Everson deposited an assist by Skylar Fasana. The No. 5 Aardvarks cut it to 2-1 when Cassidy Paulson struck in the 78th minute but could not pull even. Valley Catholic, the 2022 champion, will play in its third final in four seasons.
jerryu@osaa.org
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