HS Soccer: River Ridge and Centralia play to 0-0 push

9/12/2024

River Ridge 0, Centralia 0

(Centralia, WA)

Centralia played their first official soccer match on the turf at Tiger Stadium to a 0-0 draw with River Ridge. The Hawks came into the game 2-0 on the year already, an improvement over last season’s record of 1-10-5. Centralia came in 0-1 after a season opening loss to RA Long at Longview Memorial Stadium.

The match started and it looked like River Ridge was going to keep their win streak going with a fast paced offense. Centralia’s defense never broke anchored by a senior goalkeeper in Braylee Blankenship and center backs Dina Silva and Bella Gomez. The Hawks Tyler Mitzel and Michele Pringle controlled the middle of the field with an array of passes. One of those was a long lob over the top that ended with a line drive shot right at the keeper. The best opportunity of the night for either team. For most of the first it looked like there was an open Hawk making a run only to see a flash of orange cut in front of them just as they reached the 18 yard box leading to a 0-0 tie going into the half.

In the second half River Ridge somehow managed to turn up the intensity with Iris and Samantha Thomas getting more involved in the offense. This half was a lot of the same River Ridge controlling possession and taking more shots only to be turned away by our Thorbeckes MVP Braylee Blankenship who finished the night with an unofficial 14 saves 11 of which came in the 2nd half. The Tigers offense could never get going but their defense stepped up big time ending the match in a 0-0 draw.

Centralia is now 0-1-1 and hosts Montesano on 9/17. River Ridge is 2-0-1 and heads to Harry Lang Stadium to take on Lakes also on 9/17.

ESN talks with Thorbeckes MVP Braylee Blankenship