Soccer’s best league season since 2019 ended in a 1-0 district loss to Othello, volleyball fell in four sets at East Valley.
Updated
Ephrata sophomore Skarlett Sanchez (17) pushes between Othello sophomore Piper Uebelacker (6) and junior Autumn Weyns (20) as junior Jill Linehan (5) follows the play during the Lady Tigers’ 1-0 district loss Oct. 27 in Ephrata. Sanchez and Linehan each had a shot on goal in the first half. Photos by Casey Devine
Soccer
The Ephrata girls soccer season ended Tuesday, Oct. 27 with a 1-0 loss to Othello in a loser-out Central Washington Athletic Conference District 5 match at home.
The Lady Huskies controlled much of the possessions in the first half and took a 1-0 lead into halftime. The Lady Tigers came out with fresh focus and held the ball for much of the second half but could not find the equalizer.
"It's one of the few games we've had that we struggled a little creating offense, which hurt us in trying to score," head coach Gary Klepec said.
Brooklynne Addink (13) works the ball past Othello junior Bella Garza (3). Addink had one of Ephrata’s two second-half shots on goal.
Ephrata's best chances came late in the game. Sophomore Brooklynne Addink sent a long shot from outside the penalty area toward the top of the net. The Othello keeper caught it, dropped it and picked it back up before junior Jill Linehan could get to the loose ball.
Ephrata then earned an indirect free kick about six yards from goal, but Othello players packed in along the goal line to defend it. The Lady Tigers attempted the short shot, but the Huskies’ wall held.
Othello players line their goal line as Ephrata’s Jill Linehan (5), Ellie Molitor (2), Sophie Molitor (1) and Megan Truscott (14) await an indirect free kick late in the Lady Tigers’ 1-0 district loss to Othello.
Ephrata kept pressing with several corner kicks in the closing minutes, but could not break through.
The Lady Tigers finished with four shots on goal, from Linehan and sophomore Skarlett Sanchez in the first half and Addink and freshman Ellie Molitor in the second. Junior keeper Aiyana Valle made 14 saves.
"Our defense played good soccer and only had the one breakdown defensively that resulted in a goal," Klepec said.
Othello's Paisley Sly stumbles as Ephrata defender Kaitlyn Wolther (12) steals the ball.
Ephrata finished 5-10-2 overall and third in the Central Washington Athletic Conference at 5-3, its best league finish since it also placed third in 2019.
Klepec called it "a great year" that was "up and down with injuries and changes." He pointed to the late three-game win streak over Selah, Othello and Quincy that lifted Ephrata to third.
"That's the best we've finished in a long time," he said.
For the season, Ellie Molitor led the Lady Tigers with nine goals, followed by Addink with five and Linehan and Sanchez with four each. Alexis St. Mary, McKinnley Graaff and Aliyah Lafferty added one goal apiece.
Seniors Graaff, Brooklynn Sieverkropp and Megan Truscott played their final match for the Lady Tigers. Maddy Kellams, who was injured earlier this season, also closes her high school career.
Volleyball
YAKIMA — East Valley ended Ephrata’s season with a tightly contested 25-19, 25-23, 23-25, 25-21 win Wednesday in a loser-out, district play-in round.
The Lady Tigers dropped the first two sets, but took the third 25-23 to extend the match before East Valley closed it out 25-21. Ephrata had previously pushed the Red Devils to four sets in their regular-season meeting, on Oct. 1 in Ephrata.
The Lady Tiger volleyball team celebrates winning the silver bracket at a tournament in Quincy on Sept. 26.
For the season, Ephrata finished 3-13 under first-year head coach McKaidan Boyd. The Tigers’ only Central Washington Athletic Conference win came in four sets over Quincy on Oct. 15; they also defeated the Jackrabbits in an earlier nonleague match.
Ephrata also played two tournaments that fall outside the season records, hosting a 16-team field on Sept. 19 and winning the silver bracket at Quincy on Sept. 26.
Payton Canfield was the lone senior on the Lady Tiger roster.
Payton Canfield (3) serves during a home match earlier this season. Canfield was the only senior on Ephrata’s roster, which ended its season Wednesday with a four-set loss at East Valley in a district play-in.
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Seasons end for Lady Tigers soccer and volleyball
Soccer’s best league season since 2019 ended in a 1-0 district loss to Othello, volleyball fell in four sets at East Valley.
Soccer
The Ephrata girls soccer season ended Tuesday, Oct. 27 with a 1-0 loss to Othello in a loser-out Central Washington Athletic Conference District 5 match at home.
The Lady Huskies controlled much of the possessions in the first half and took a 1-0 lead into halftime. The Lady Tigers came out with fresh focus and held the ball for much of the second half but could not find the equalizer.
"It's one of the few games we've had that we struggled a little creating offense, which hurt us in trying to score," head coach Gary Klepec said.
Ephrata's best chances came late in the game. Sophomore Brooklynne Addink sent a long shot from outside the penalty area toward the top of the net. The Othello keeper caught it, dropped it and picked it back up before junior Jill Linehan could get to the loose ball.
Ephrata then earned an indirect free kick about six yards from goal, but Othello players packed in along the goal line to defend it. The Lady Tigers attempted the short shot, but the Huskies’ wall held.
Ephrata kept pressing with several corner kicks in the closing minutes, but could not break through.
The Lady Tigers finished with four shots on goal, from Linehan and sophomore Skarlett Sanchez in the first half and Addink and freshman Ellie Molitor in the second. Junior keeper Aiyana Valle made 14 saves.
"Our defense played good soccer and only had the one breakdown defensively that resulted in a goal," Klepec said.
Ephrata finished 5-10-2 overall and third in the Central Washington Athletic Conference at 5-3, its best league finish since it also placed third in 2019.
Klepec called it "a great year" that was "up and down with injuries and changes." He pointed to the late three-game win streak over Selah, Othello and Quincy that lifted Ephrata to third.
"That's the best we've finished in a long time," he said.
For the season, Ellie Molitor led the Lady Tigers with nine goals, followed by Addink with five and Linehan and Sanchez with four each. Alexis St. Mary, McKinnley Graaff and Aliyah Lafferty added one goal apiece.
Seniors Graaff, Brooklynn Sieverkropp and Megan Truscott played their final match for the Lady Tigers. Maddy Kellams, who was injured earlier this season, also closes her high school career.
Volleyball
YAKIMA — East Valley ended Ephrata’s season with a tightly contested 25-19, 25-23, 23-25, 25-21 win Wednesday in a loser-out, district play-in round.
The Lady Tigers dropped the first two sets, but took the third 25-23 to extend the match before East Valley closed it out 25-21. Ephrata had previously pushed the Red Devils to four sets in their regular-season meeting, on Oct. 1 in Ephrata.
For the season, Ephrata finished 3-13 under first-year head coach McKaidan Boyd. The Tigers’ only Central Washington Athletic Conference win came in four sets over Quincy on Oct. 15; they also defeated the Jackrabbits in an earlier nonleague match.
Ephrata also played two tournaments that fall outside the season records, hosting a 16-team field on Sept. 19 and winning the silver bracket at Quincy on Sept. 26.
Payton Canfield was the lone senior on the Lady Tiger roster.