Evergreen falls in season opener to Fraser Valley

Two goals and one assist from senior Peyton Rhyne were not enough for the Evergreen State College, as they came short against a resolute Fraser Valley in their first game in the 2024 fall season on Thursday, Aug. 22, at the Geoduck Pitch.

Rhyne, who also played for local semi-pro club FC Olympia this summer, carried the Geoducks after scoring a penalty in the first half and taking the lead for Evergreen in the second half on top of an assist late in the game. Still, her efforts were just not enough for a resolute Canada-based side scoring four goals from four different goalscorers.

The Geoducks women’s soccer team aims to vie for the Cascade Collegiate Conference playoff spot, for which they have not qualified in a long time, with their last best shot on a tournament berth being a 7th-seed finish in the 2008 season, just one spot off the playoff placements.

In 2023, Evergreen finished 11th of 13 participating CCC schools after garnering 7 points from two wins, one draw, and nine defeats. The team's overall record along with non-CCC schools that season was 2-2-12.

The Cascades got off to a blistering start, thanks to a goal from Kiana Langston from a shot from five yards out in under three minutes of play to take the lead.

Evergreen, after a lot of attempts to equalize, finally got the breakthrough in the 34th minute as Fraser Valley keeper Addy Chen committed a foul just inside the edge of the penalty box, to which Rhyne easily converted the penalty to tie the match until halftime.

Rhyne then got off to a quick start in the second half as she took the lead for Evergreen with a rocket of a shot in the 47th minute. But that lead was short-lived as Jaya Baims of Fraser Valley responded swiftly with an equalizer just five minutes after Rhyne’s goal.

The score remained a 2-2 stalemate for about thirty minutes until UFV got a breakthrough through a penalty converted by Eesha Muldaliar in the 83rd minute. They did not waste time and scored the insurance goal a minute later to seal the game, 4-2.

Evergreen tried to salvage a draw with a Breianna Dell goal at the 87th minute delivered from a Peyton Rhyne pass, but time was not on their side as the final whistle blew.

Stats from the box score indicate the tightness of the match, as Evergreen had 13 total shots with 7 shots on target, while the visitors had 15 of their own, alongside 8 shots on target. Evergreen keepers Anna Varela and Melina Grijalva shared responsibilities between the posts, as both had at least 45 minutes of play time.

This match kicks off the Geoducks' season in preparation for CCC competition starting on September 20. They will travel to Lacey, WA, this week to play an exhibition match against GNAC school Saint Martin’s University on Thursday, August 29, at Saints Field.