The Philomath High School girls soccer team scored all of its goals in the first half and defeated Sweet Home, 8-0, Tuesday afternoon in an Oregon West Conference match.
Seven different players scored the eight goals for the Warriors. The game was stopped at halftime on the eight-goal mercy rule.
“We want to start out strong with our starting lineup and they did well and executed and got us a comfortable lead,” PHS coach Mat Phelps said. “But it’s a chance, especially for some of the seniors, just to get them in places that maybe they haven’t played in and it’s kind of fun.”
One of those seniors, Charis Bumstead, scored two goals in the victory. Heidi Bacho, the team’s senior goalkeeper, moved upfield and scored the game’s eighth goal just before halftime.
The Warriors (5-2-2 overall, 4-0-1 Oregon West) will now turn their attention to a road trip Thursday at Stayton. Philomath defeated the Eagles, 5-0, back on Oct. 1.
“I think it could potentially be our first cold, rainy game,” Phelps said. “So we’re kind of gearing up for that change in mindset with how we prepare, how we warm up and getting ready for something that’s different.”
Indeed, the fall sports teams that play outside have benefitted from mild weather this fall — in fact, it was too hot on a few afternoons with officials working in water breaks.
After the Stayton game, the Warriors will play next Tuesday at Cascade in a key matchup that will impact the top of the conference standings. The team will then host North Marion on Oct. 24 in a game that could decide the league title before ending the regular season Oct. 29 at Newport.
Against Sweet Home (0-10, 0-6), Philomath was off and running with a goal in the game’s first minute when senior Sophia Bauer scored with an assist by senior Natalie Dunn. In the sixth minute, Bumstead had the first of her two goals with an assist by senior Madyx Mooney. Freshman Kya Bolton followed with a goal in the 12th minute with Dunn recording another assist.
The Warriors extended their lead to 4-0 in the 17th minute on a Mooney goal with the assist going to senior Isabel Morales-Marquez. Junior Jessica McLennan found the net in the 28th minute with an assist by junior Ana Candanoza. Just a minute later, Bumstead scored her second goal with an assist by sophomore Annaleise Brown.
Bacho then put an exclamation mark on the victory with her goal in the 39th minute with an assist by Bolton.
