Yelm Girls Soccer’s Playoff Hopes End With Loss to Capital

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As the Yelm girls soccer team entered its final week of the season, the ladies had some high stakes to play for. Though they sat near the bottom of the South Sound Conference standings, the team still had a chance to make the playoffs.

In their matchup on Thursday, Oct. 18, the Tornados hit the road to North Thurston High School to challenge the Rams. North Thurston entered the contest with a record of 3-8-2.

Yelm’s head coach Jay Dorhauer said the team was off to a slow start in the first 15 minutes of the contest and allowed their only score of the game toward the beginning of the match. Dorhauer said the team’s energy eventually picked up as they began to play physically for the remainder of the contest.

“We really controlled most of the game,” Dorhauer said. “They scored within the first 15 minutes, but after that, we controlled the game from that point on.”

Trailing 1-0 for the majority of the game, Dorhauer said the girls didn’t quit and fought until the very last second.

“We had a pretty great moment to close out the game when Mariah Arnestad scored a goal to tie things up,” Dorhauer said. “That goal kept our season alive.”

The Tornados were then set to travel to Central Kitsap High School to take on the Cougars, but the air quality was bad enough for the game to be canceled.

Dorhauer said he didn’t know if the teams will make up the canceled game in a future matchup. 



“If we still have a shot at the playoffs, we’ll make up with (Central Kitsap,)” Dorhauer said earlier in the season. “If we lose before we get to the matchup with Central Kitsap, it won’t have a bearing on league standings if they win or lose, so the game probably wouldn’t be played. They’re already locked into the playoffs.”

Then on Monday Oct. 24, the Tornados hosted Capital High School.

“We’ll be down three starters against Capital,” Dorhauer said prior to the game. “We’ll bring three girls off the bench and ultimately leave us with three less subs.”

The Tornados were ultimately shut out by Capital, 3-0. Their playoff hopes ended with the loss.

After the contest with Capital, the Tornados played their final game of their regular season on Tuesday, Oct. 25. They celebrated the senior players prior to the contest.

“We play River Ridge for our senior night, and while they’re winless, they play teams tough and we’ll have to bring our best efforts out,” Dorhauer said before the game.

Yelm was able to get the senior night victory, defeating River Ridge 2-0, with both goals from senior Meridee Hill.

With the loss to Capital, the Tornados did not need to make up their matchup with Central Kitsap.