Spartans come out fast and furious against Cougars

Published 11:57 am Friday, September 12, 2014

Speed kills. Just ask the Central Kitsap Cougars.

The Bainbridge Spartans put a speedy stop to their visitors from Silverdale Tuesday and upended the Cougars 6-3.

The non-league game was the home opener for the Spartans and their second win in a row, and despite the score, the game was never in doubt for Bainbridge.

“We were fortunate,” said Spartan Coach Scott Druker. “I think a lot of our shots were on frame, for the most part. That was good to see.”

Still, Druker said Bainbridge took a little while to get up to speed in the match.

“I was a little disappointed in the beginning of the game where we took about 10 to 15 minutes to find the touch,” he said.

“We usually start sharp. We want to be ready to go, and moving the ball quickly,” Druker said. “Usually our M.O. is, let’s move the ball, move the ball, move the ball right in the beginning. Everybody gets touches, everybody can get a feel of the game, and then we go.”

Scoring-wise, however, the Spartans got on the board fast, with Riley Gregoire scoring in the 13th minute on a pass from Kamie Coryell.

Coryell then pushed the Spartans to 3-0 after she booted in two goals at the top of the box through a crowd of Cougar defenders. The first came in the 24th minute, and the second came soon after, in the 31st.

Things started to further unravel for the Cougars in the second half.

Celia Story nailed the net after a pass from Coryell in the 42nd minute to give Bainbridge a 4-0 advantage.

The Cougars showed no quit at that point, though. Central Kitsap got a clean shot on goal about a minute later, but it bounced off the crossbar.

Then, in the 46th minute, Alyssa Carter squeezed one in off the right post to put the contest at 4-1.

Bainbridge put the brakes on the Cougars in the 60th minute, as Story took a pass from Gregoire and beat the keeper and the score was 5-1, Spartans.

“Riley played me a great ball,” Story said. “She makes it kind of easy for me, to be honest.”

And there was no sense of panic as Story capitalized on the opportunity.

“You’ve got to stay calm and just pass the goalie, and then…,” Story said. “Their back line was pretty flat, so you just had to make sure you were on-sides and you kind of knew that you were in. I couldn’t have asked for a better ball.”

Central Kitsap got its second goal in the 77th minute from freshman Lauren Hudson, who sent a rocket in from the left corner of the box.

But Bainbridge’s Ellie Cowan answered less than a minute later with almost the exact same shot that split the sticks in the 78th minute.

Hudson wasn’t finished, and answered for the Cougars in the 79th minute to ice the score at 6-3.

“We played well. We are definitely getting better at working together,” Story said.

“It’s a lot of new players this year, so it’s a new dynamic. But it’s really fun, and I think we’ll improve as the season goes on,” she said.

Coryell, who was making her first start this year and finished the game with two goals, agreed.

“I loved how we moved as a team and we communicated. And we’re really starting to play fast and play strong,” Coryell said.

Druker said he expects the Spartans’ tempo to only increase as the season continues.

“I still think we need to play a little quicker,” the coach said. “There’s moments that we’re missing and we’re getting the ball late. And there’s a couple of key players that we need to get more involved in the game.”

Cougar Coach Jan Vincent saw it a bit different. She stopped Druker after the game with nothing but praise for his Spartan squad.

“You have a very good team; a very fast team. Very skilled,” Vincent told Druker.

“It’s always a pleasure playing you,” she added. “It was a tough game, but it gets us ready for what we need to do.”

Vincent then added she’d watch for them again — in the finals.