Cadets Make Historic Run to State

     The Eisenhower Girls Soccer team finished their season on an extremely high note. Despite a rocky start in the early stretch of the season, they continued working and climbed their way out of the hole.

Regular Season:                        

     After finishing the regular season at a less than ideal 5-11 record, 5-7 (5th Place) in the Big 9, they set themselves up for a district run that would be anything but easy. Regular season wins included victories over Davis and Eastmont as well as a season sweep over Sunnyside.

Districts:

     The Cadets entered the Big 9 playoffs with a tough schedule ahead of them. The return of senior Bella Diehm a few games prior gave the team confidence heading into their first-round matchup at Moses Lake. They would win that game in a shootout before heading to Eastmont and securing another victory 2-1. Next on the schedule was West Valley, fresh off their District Championship loss to number-one seed Wenatchee. The girls had previously lost two straight games against the Rams during the regular season but pulled off a huge upset, winning 2-0 and advancing to the first round of state.

State:

     This is where it got tough. The good news is that they fought their way all the way into the state bracket; the bad news is they were set to face the defending state champions and number one team in the state. The school rallied behind the girls to give them a huge celebratory sendoff during lunch as it had been over 25 years since they last earned a spot in that prized bracket. 

     With a trip to Skyline ahead, the girls made their way to State for the round of 16. The game was tied 0-0 at halftime leaving the door open for the Cadets to do the impossible. Unfortunately, Skyline came to life in the second half, seemingly remembering why they were ranked at the prized number one spot, and ended IKE’s admirable season with a score of 5-0.

      For the Cadets, it was a season to remember no doubt. They fought through adversity and rallied around each other. We can all hope that this is a prelude to what’s to come in future seasons. After breaking through that 20+ year drought of not making the tournament, we know the girls and Head Coach Noe Gutierrez will work harder than ever to get back there.