Girls soccer falls short of state playoff bid

With a state playoff appearance on the line, Blaine girls soccer went up against Lynden Christian at Borderite Stadium on November 4.

A win, and the Borderites would be headed to the state tournament for the first time since 2003, a loss, and its hard-fought season over.

But Blaine just couldn’t keep up with Lynden Christian, falling 2-0 to a pair of world-class goals that came within four minutes of each other in the middle of the first half.

Lynden Christian’s first goal, a roughly 25-yard free kick, soared over junior goalkeeper Larissa Pluschakov’s outstretched hands, just sneaking under the crossbar to stun the hosting Borderites. A few minutes later, Kayla Yun, a sophomore midfielder at Lynden Christian, popped an excellent shot into the top-right corner from outside of the penalty box, again beating Pluschakov, the reigning 1A Northwest Conference goalkeeper of the year. Those two goals were all the Lyncs needed, as its defense was able to shut down any real attacking chances by the Borderites for the rest of the night.

“Great goals, can’t say anything other than that,” Blaine head coach Gio Quesada-Ruiz said. “I keep thinking I have the best keeper in the conference, there’s no keeper like Larissa [Pluschakov], and this doesn’t change my mind.”

Very few other high school keepers in Whatcom County, let alone in 1A NWC, could’ve laid a finger on both of Lynden Christian’s goals during the game.

In the final desperate minutes of the second half, the Borderites came close to breaking out of its shutout slump, but were ultimately never able to challenge the Lyncs’ keeper with any meaningful shots on goal.

Lynden Christian was a thorn in Blaine’s side all season. The Lyncs earned its first regular season win against the Borderites on September 28 in a 6-0 blowout, the largest margin of defeat Blaine suffered all season. The next meeting on October 16, Lynden Christian won 3-0, and now Blaine suffered a 2-0 loss with a state playoff berth on the line. All told, the Lyncs outscored Blaine 11-0 in the three matchups.

For Quesada-Ruiz, this just puts a bigger chip on the girls’ shoulders for next season.

“That’s the beauty in soccer, there’s always a chance for revenge,” Quesada-Ruiz said. “Today it’s a loss, it’s tears. But the team will keep working hard and next year is going to be a lot of smiles. I keep thinking this team will have a future.”

Blaine’s roster will look much of the same next season, with only three departing seniors, forward Lucy Dahl, defender Isabella Catano and forward Emily Bilson, set to graduate. Those seniors all contributed regularly, but none more than leading goal scorer Dahl, who Quesada-Ruiz said has been with the Borderite program since middle school.

“When she started, she wasn’t a soccer player,” Quesada-Ruiz said of Dahl. “I think she’s one of the best wings in the conference. That’s payback for years of dedication.”

The Borderites finished its season with a 6-7-2 record, just two goals shy of a state playoff berth, and got to the very end of district playoffs in front of a home crowd at Borderite Stadium. To describe his feelings on the season and the work his team put in, Quesada-Ruiz put it briefly.

“I’m proud,” he said. “The team really fought today on the field. The difference was two great goals. The effort is here, the passion is here.”