Shorecrest girls soccer reaches district final after 1-0 win

Shoreline, Wash. Shorecrest girls soccer advanced to the District 1 3A championship game on Tuesday evening following a 1-0 victory over Snohomish at Shoreline Stadium. The win marks the program's return to the district final for the first time since 2023 and secures a spot in the state tournament after a miss last year.

The decisive moment arrived just before the halftime break. Shorecrest junior Siena Muoio won the ball in the left corner and passed to senior Olivia Taylor in the penalty box. Taylor shot into the bottom left corner to give the Scots a one-goal lead. Shorecrest finished the season with a record of 15-1-2, while Snohomish fell to 11-6-1.

Coach Mindy Dalziel credited her team's ability to battle through a tight match. "The girls have got to figure this out. They’ve got to look to each other, and they got to dig in," Dalziel said. "I think the credit is that battle, right? They fought ‘til the very end." She noted that the team had to rely on communication and defensive effort to hold onto the lead.

Snohomish coach Brielle Dodge acknowledged the growth of her team since a 3-1 loss to Shorecrest in a September tuneup game. "We’ve synced together, and we’ve found girls that have thrived in different positions," Dodge said. "It was fun to be able to come back, I think, just to prove it to ourselves." The Panthers will now compete in the consolation bracket of the state tournament.

Shorecrest goalkeeper Mickie McNeil made several key saves to protect the lead. In the 12th minute, she made a close-range save against Danica Avalos, with sophomore Agatha Freeman clearing the rebound. Later in the second half, McNeil punched a bouncing shot from Jo Cort over the bar in the 58th minute. The backline, led by center back Kai Johnson, maintained pressure to limit Snohomish attacking options.

Snohomish continued to push for an equalizer in the final minutes. Senior Lizzie Allyn had to be helped off the field in the 75th minute after a hard collision in the box. The Panthers earned multiple corner kicks near the end, but Shorecrest defenders Freeman, Johnson, and freshman Zoey Muoio made critical plays to secure the win.

Shorecrest will face Stanwood in the District Championship on Saturday at Shoreline Stadium. The Scots are aiming for their first district title since 2022. A victory would also improve their seed for the upcoming state tournament.