Lynden Christian claims third straight 1A district title with 2-0 victory

Lynden Christian defeated Meridian 2-0 on Saturday at Blaine High School to win the 1A District 1 girls soccer championship for the third time in a row. The victory guaranteed the Lyncs a spot in the state tournament, where they will be one of 16 teams competing for the title.

Sophomore Alli Molendyk and junior Kaelyn Hinton scored the only two goals of the match. The Lyncs took a 1-0 lead with 24 minutes remaining in the game. Hinton extended the lead to 2-0 in the 62nd minute, placing a shot into the right side of the net after receiving a pass from sophomore midfielder Alexi Yun.

Head coach Jerimy Saldivar noted that his team had to adapt to Meridian's intensity after losing 4-1 and drawing 1-1 in previous meetings this season. Saldivar said the players stuck to the game plan despite the challenging conditions, playing with focus as if the weather were 70 degrees.

Northwest winds with gusts peaking around 50 mph affected play throughout the match. Rain also fell during the second half. Lynden Christian played with the wind in the first half, but both teams struggled to control the ball due to the conditions. Crosses frequently flew out of bounds, and through passes often moved too fast for the receiving players.

Junior goalkeeper Molly Prengaman made the decisive save late in the game. In the 65th minute, she leaped to deflect a close shot from Meridian freshman Finley Twining onto the crossbar. Prengaman secured the ball as it fell back down, preserving the two-goal lead.

The Lyncs had won the district title the previous two seasons. This year's championship match marked the end of the season for Meridian, which finished with a 12-6-1 record. Lynden Christian awaits its seeding for the state tournament. Matches begin on Tuesday, Nov. 10.

If the Lyncs receive a top-eight seed, they will host the opening round at home. The state tournament will feature 16 teams from the 1A classification. The district tournament also saw Blaine defeat Mount Baker 3-2 on penalty kicks, while Lynden Christian advanced past Nooksack Valley 1-0 in the semifinals.