Outlaws earn share of soccer league title

The Outlaws wrapped up league play with wins over Cottage Grove (CG) and Sutherlin this past week and finished in a tie with CG for the league championship. The two opponents were to go head-to-head in a tie-breaker on Tuesday, October 27, in a match held on neutral turf at Sweet Home.

Sisters defeated the Lions at home on Tuesday, October 20, and two days later swept the Sutherlin Bulldogs 4-0 on the road.

The Outlaws were thrilled to beat the Lions, who had bested them 5-2 earlier in the season. The Outlaws outshot CG 13-2.

Coach Thomas Draxler switched up player positions in hopes of frustrating the Lions' attack. Nika Chick, normally a forward, and Michaela Miller, a midfielder, were moved to defense.

"I wanted to gain a psychological edge and felt like if we would shut down their attack we would weaken their belief that they could score," said Draxler. "It worked better than I could have imagined, because it depressed Cottage Grove. My players up front were able to find more space."

Nika Chick scored Sisters' first goal with five minutes left in the first half. Chick took a free kick from the sidelines, and Draxler told The Nugget that it was clearly the best goal of the season.

"Nika curled it with her right foot to the near post, and the ball glanced off the near post and slid down the back of the net," said Draxler. "It's one of the hardest angles to score from, because Nika had to hit the target the size of a dinner plate."

At the half Sisters held a 1-0 advantage.

The Outlaws kept to the strategy in the second half. CG did a bit better, and did get two shots on goal, but Sisters still kept the game in the Lions' half most of the time.

With eight minutes left on the clock, Hannah Ceciliani, who was playing sweeper at the time, took a sweet kick from the sideline, and sent the ball into the box. The Lions' keeper punched it into the air, but three Outlaws followed up, surrounded the keeper, and Ceciliani headed it in past the goalie.

"The way the girls followed that ball up just makes me happy, because it illustrates the mental edge we had established in the game," said Draxler. "Three of our players followed it up and none of theirs did."

Draxler told The Nugget that he appreciated the girls on the bench, who supported the seniors by subbing in at crucial times.

When the final whistle blew to bring the game to a close, field and bench players rushed together in a frenzy of excitement.

At halftime, the team's 10 seniors were honored: Anna Ortega, Olivia Watts, Tessa O' Hern, Olivia Stewart, Melissa Young, Hannah Tennison, Taylor Schneider, Hannah Ceciliani, Michaela Miller and Nina Horner.

"I was glad that these girls got this winning experience today, in what is potentially their last home game," stated Draxler. "They brought the passion to win, and the belief that they could. They also brought a lot of family and relatives to the game today, which helped create the atmosphere."

On Thursday, Michaela Miller scored bookend goals to lead the Outlaws to their 4-0 sweep on the road against Sutherlin.

Miller scored an unassisted goal in the 25th minute. The Bulldogs' keeper kicked the ball out and Miller trapped it, and kicked it back in over the keepers' head.

Thirteen minutes into the second half, Nika Chick booted the ball from outside the 18 and sent a low, powerful shot into the corner on an assist from Shawna Ferrell.

In the 60th minute, Olivia Stewart took a corner kick from Olivia Watts. The ball bounced off a Sutherlin player and Stewart knocked it straight into the back of the net.

Miller scored Sisters' final goal with 10 minutes left in the contest. Michaela turned a Rylee Weber pass into a goal when she chipped it past the keeper from the top of the 18-yard box. Sisters held strong for the final minutes to secure the sweep.

Draxler said, "The field was very bumpy, which made it hard to control the ball. We struggled in the first half and didn't play well. In the second half, the girls started to use their bodies more, kept their bodies behind the ball, and we were able to connect passes. That's why we ended up with more chances and more goals in the second half."

Two of the team's seniors shared their thoughts on the game.

"We started out hectic with each other, and were feeling pressured," said Hannah Ceciliani. "At the half we agreed we wanted to work together to secure our title, and we came out stronger and won."

Marrisa Young said, "It was an honor to play together, and connect and communicate as seniors today. It was nice to play our last game with the younger players, too. We know we can trust them with our legacy. They've grown as players and have progressed so much. They're ready to face challenges without us."