Girls soccer playoffs: Grant survives PKs, rain in win over Tualatin

SOUTH TABOR – Through the pouring rain and several close calls, Grant High School girls soccer found a way to survive and advance Tuesday, Nov. 4 at Franklin High School.

Tied at one with No. 11 Tualatin, the No. 6 seed Generals won in penalty kicks 3-2 to take home the 6A state playoffs round two victory, advancing to the state quarterfinals.

In PKs, goalkeeper Charlotte Wilson made a big save on the Timberwolves second attempt after they had gone up 1-0 after the first round.

After the sides traded goals in the third round, Wilson used her head on Tualatin’s fourth shot, literally.

Wilson dove to the near side as the Timberwolves’ shot went wide and hit the post, however, the ball looked to be going toward the net on the ricochet. But Wilson’s dive to the correct side allowed her head to get in the way and prevent the shot from scoring.

Lauren Flisakowski scored on the Generals’ fourth attempt to put them ahead 3-2. And on the fifth shot from Tualatin, the ball sailed above the crossbar and cemented the Grant victory.

“My goalkeepers, I have tremendous confidence in them,” Grant head coach Manolis Tjuanakis said. “I asked them, ‘Who’s going to stay for PKs, if we go to PKs.’ (Wilson) says, ‘I’ll do it.’

“We know she’s good at stopping one, and today she was able to stop two.”

While the score was obviously close, Grant (11-3-2, 5-1 PIL) controlled most of the match, starting when it nearly scored less than a minute into the game.

The rest of the first half was more of a slog with the Generals not able to fire off more than two shots and the Timberwolves (10-4-2) not getting a clean look at any shots.

Huddled under their tents at halftime, the Generals could feel a goal was coming soon to start the second half.

In the 42nd minute, Maddie Crawford fired a shot that was blocked at the top of the box, but the rebound went to Cambria Litwinczuk more in the middle of the field and at the top of the box. The junior fired a shot that burned along the ground and into the net on the near side to make it 1-0 Grant.

It was pretty much exactly how Grant drew it up as Tjuanakis described how the Tualatin defense was playing back, allowing chances from 18-20 yards out.

“I felt they were vulnerable on top of the 18,” Tjuanakis said. “When we kept position, they were pushing backwards, so I felt if they got a clean shot from 20-25 yards out, I think we’re gonna score a goal. That was a good combination play and that’s where the ball came.”

Grant continued to dominate the pace of the match with a few Tualatin runs mixed in. However, one of those Timberwolves runs proved costly in the 66th minute.

A foul gave Tualatin a free kick from the far side near the sideline and about even with the top of the box. Ava Elizarraraz stepped to the ball and delivered a nearly perfect strike.

The ball hooked toward the goal and hit the near post, but the ball spun backwards and eventually across the goal and into the far side net for the equalizer.

Grant tried to get things done in the final 14 minutes, firing four shots and two going on goal, but each look was just off.

In overtime, Grant kept up the pressure with two more shots while Tualatin didn’t get any off in the two 10-minute periods.

“I feel we controlled the entire match,” Tjuanakis said. “I think our midfield did a fantastic job because (the Timberwolves) did not let themselves down so they were forced to play long balls where we were able to pick them up and start our possession. I felt we were unfortunate because we came so close so many times.”

Wilson, who played the second half following Lucy Kapranos holding it down in the first half, made the two plays Grant needed in PKs to secure the victory from there.

The win marks Grant’s third consecutive season making at least the state quarterfinals, and it also continues another interesting streak.

Thanks to a Lincoln 6-0 win over South Eugene, the PIL foes will meet in the quarterfinals Saturday, Nov. 8. It’s the fourth consecutive year the Generals and Cardinals will play in the postseason.

Lincoln won 3-2 in the second round in 2022, but Grant has won the last two meetings 3-1 in the 2023 semifinals and the 2024 quarterfinals.

This season, the Cardinals took down the Generals 2-1 en route to winning the PIL title.

But now, it’s about advancing in the playoffs, and Grant knows it’ll need a clean game to reverse the season’s earlier result.

“We know them, they know us,” Tjuanakis said. “I think it’s going to come down to little things, who doesn’t make mistakes that are costly. The team that doesn’t make any mistakes and the team that takes advantage of the mistakes, is going to walk away from it.”

More results

No. 3 Lincoln had no issues with No. 14 South Eugene, led by two hat tricks. Both Frances Reuland and Chloe Horton scored three times to send the Cardinals into the quarterfinals and the rematch with No. 6 Grant.

Meanwhile, the season came to an end for No. 20 Ida B. Wells on the road in a 3-1 loss to No. 4 Beaverton. And No. 10 Central Catholic fell in PKs to No. 7 Lake Oswego after going scoreless throughout the night. The Lakers won the PKs 5-3 to advance.

Boys soccer round two Wednesday

No. 11 Ida B. Wells at McMinnville, 6 p.m.

No. 12 South Salem at No. 5 Grant, 6:30 p.m. (Franklin High School)

No. 13 Sherwood at No. 4 Central Catholic, 6:30 p.m. (Valley Catholic High School)

No. 10 Cleveland at No. 7 Lincoln, 7 p.m.