Sports Roundup – Kickers drop one to Holy Names in a stunner/Spikers swept by Blanchet/Golfers keep on winning

Published 11:00 am Saturday, September 30, 2006

Spartans can’t hang on to 3-1 lead, lose in the final minutes.

The Bainbridge girls soccer team had a 3-1 lead, but couldn’t hang on as they lost to the Holy Names Cougars 4-3 Tuesday.

It’s a loss that head coach Anh Tran hopes they take as a “learning experience.”

“I told them, ‘Hey, it was a great game,’” he said. “It is what it is. How else can you change it?”

The Cougars got on the board first when Ava Ames scored in the 15th minute as she put the ball in off the rebound of a teammate’s shot.

The Spartans had a few scoring opportunities, but couldn’t capitalize.

In the 24th minute, Ashley Waplinger took a shot from 20 yards out that just went past the outstretched hands of the Holy Names goalkeeper.

That got things rolling for the Spartans, as Caitlyn Salo put one in from 15 yards out in the 33rd minute.

Two minutes later, Zena Hemmen scored on a free kick that got past a wall of Cougar defenders and seemed to put the control of the game into the hands of the Spartans.

But Holy Names came out with a purpose in the second half.

“We knew they were going to come out hard,” Tran said. “(Plus) they didn’t mark number eight (Ames) and that’s what we told them to do.”

Ames scored in the 56th minute on a putback off a corner kick, then boomed one down to Alicia Patten, who got behind a few Spartan defenders, to put one in and tie the game up.

After both teams had their chances to score but couldn’t connect, Ames headed one in off a corner kick at the 78th minute to win the game.

Tran gave credit to freshman Devon Devis, who became the starting goalie after Jessie Vincent was lost to injury.

“I thought she played well,” Tran said. “Once she comes off the line, she does it extremely well.”

As for the loss, Tran said they’ll have to learn how to play with a lead, but they’ll also grow from this experience.

“You never want to lose (like this,) but we got it on video, we’re going to study it and get better from it,” he said. “It’s not panic button (time) yet. Deep down I know we can still beat this team.”

Vincent will be out for three weeks with a broken finger.

Bainbridge doesn’t play again until they face Seattle Prep next Tuesday at the Starfire Complex in Tukwila.

Game time is at 3:30 p.m.

Spikers swept by Blanchet

The Bainbridge volleyball team had their chances, but couldn’t get it done against Bishop Blanchet Wednesday, as they were swept in three games by the scores of 25-18, 31-29 and 25-21.

The Spartans battled with the Braves throughout the first game, going back and forth with neither team gaining a lead of more than a point.

But Blanchet took the lead at 16-15 on a kill by Bridget Logan and didn’t look back.

The second game was a classic, as Bainbridge took a 7-4 lead on kills by Hannah Stuart, Kelcey Dunaway and Marijke Schwarz-Smith.

Blanchet came back to tie the game at 17, but Bainbridge kept the lead all the way through match point.

The Braves kept tying the game, then caught a break on a Bainbridge error.

Logan put one away a few minutes later for the win.

“We just let a few points go that were vital and they did well in finishing off those important points,” Stuart said. “They’re a great team and they really fought hard.”

Blanchet took a 8-2 lead in the third game, but Bainbridge took advantage of several errors to come back and take a 12-9 lead.

The Braves fought back to go ahead at 15-14, then took the lead for good when Stuart was blocked twice on successive kills.

Dunaway felt the loss helped “put things in perspective.”

“We haven’t played a team as hard as Blanchet yet, so this showed us that we can’t just beat everybody,” she said. “We have to be on top of our game or we’re not going to win.”

Bainbridge played Lakeside yesterday and travel to the Mark Morris tournament today.

The Spartans play at home next Wednesday at 6 p.m. against Eastside Catholic.

Golfers keep on winning

The Bainbridge girls golf team kept on rolling this week, winning three more matches to stay undefeated on the year.

Katie Saucier shot a even par 36 to medal at their home meet with Bishop Blanchet Tuesday, then shot a one under 35 in a non-league match against Mt. Rainier Wednesday.

She was also the medalist in Thursday’s match as she shot a 37.

Saucier has won the medal in all 10 matches she’s played in this year.

Bainbridge defeated Blanchet 152-103, Rainier 130-110 and West Seattle and Nathan Hale 152-85-59.

The girls play Tuesday at home against Seattle Prep, Lakeside and Holy Names at 3 p.m.