Bushnell-bound senior Ariana Gonzalez leads undefeated The Dalles/Dufur with 30 goals and 24 assists. (Photo by Melissa Galland)

Last year, The Dalles/Dufur had its first girls soccer state title squarely in its sights, only to lose to Marist Catholic 2-0 in the 4A final.

This year, the Riverhawks came back determined to take another shot. And with the playoffs starting Wednesday, they are fully healthy and surging with momentum after a dominant regular season in which they finished 13-0-1, outscored their opponents 85-1 and earned the No. 1 seed to the 4A playoffs.

“Over these last couple years, we've been working at trying to hit a high note at going into the playoffs,” coach Colby Tonn said. “Up until the last four games, we've only had the full squad healthy for like one match. We're healthy going into the playoffs, which is the goal.”

The Riverhawks open the postseason Wednesday afternoon at home against No. 16 Baker (6-6-2). They face a difficult road, especially considering fourth-seeded Marist Catholic (15-0) – the two-time reigning champion and clear-cut No. 1 team in the OSAAtoday 4A coaches poll – could be waiting for them in the semifinals.

“We want to make the run we made last year, and to get there, we're probably going to have to face Marist,” Tonn said. “So it doesn't matter if we get to them in the semis or in the finals.”

Tonn believes that, more so than last year, the 4A bracket is a mine field. He said that as many as eight teams have the ability to knock off anyone.

“On any night, in any condition, there could be some crazy results this year,” he said. “It's good for the state, rather than just two teams going through. This could be the year there are some upsets. Hopefully, we're not one of them.”

The Riverhawks had never won a league title up until taking the Tri-Valley Conference crown the last four seasons. They went 13 years without a playoff victory before making the quarterfinals in 2023 and 2024, then reaching their first final last year.

This year's team appears to be the best one yet. The Dalles has an explosive offense led by senior twins Ariana Gonzalez (30 goals, 24 assists) and Lilyana Gonzalez (21 goals, 12 assists) and junior Willow Ziegenhagen (20 goals, 16 assists) and a dominant back line that features two fourth-year starters in Kaiya Doty and Yaritza Torres-Escobedo.

The Riverhawks graduated two key players from last year in two-time 4A first-team midfielder Natalia Elias and defender Jaki Nagrete, but have found a way to fill those gaps.

“As the season has gone on, we've gotten more comfortable,” Tonn said.

The only mark on their record is a 0-0 draw at second-seeded Scappoose (11-2-1) on Sept. 3. The only goal they have allowed was an own-goal in a 6-1 win at Molalla.

The Gonzalez twins, committed to play in college at Bushnell, are the catalysts. They have terrific chemistry with each other and their teammates.

“Even though they're attacking players, they work really hard on defense,” Tonn said of the sisters, both 4A first-team picks in 2025. “They do a good job of turning defense into offense. They could score more if they really tried to. They play great team ball.”

On the back line, Doty, Torres-Escobedo and junior Bryce Newby have helped keep the heat off senior goalkeeper Olivia Prado, who has been healthy all year after missing most of the 2025 regular season with an injury. When Prado is tested, she has been up to the task.

“She does a really good job of coming out and reading the angles,” Tonn said. “Usually there are one or two big saves.”

Last year, The Dalles took a 17-0 record into the state final but was overwhelmed by Marist Catholic, which held a 28-7 edge in shots. The Riverhawks believe their offense is better equipped for that challenge this year.

“We've been working on how to attack more consistently,” Tonn said. “We're playing quicker – one or two touch – and getting the ball out side to create those spaces in the middle.”