Rivals girls soccer has back-to-back wins

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The East Jefferson Rivals girls soccer team has been on a hot streak as of late, winning their past two matchups after a sluggish 0-2 start to the season. 

After winning their past two matches against Coupeville and Cascade Christian, the girls hold a record of 2-2 as they look toward their next match against Seattle Christian School on Oct. 1.

(The girls soccer game between the East Jefferson Rivals and Annie Wright Academy for Monday, Sept. 27 was postponed.)

Against Coupeville on Sept. 18, the girls played a well-controlled game, going up 4-0 within 25 minutes on the start as senior captain Clare Johnson scored from her first shot. 

Ava Shiflett and Audrey Matthes of East Jefferson worked well on the right side to move the ball to Johnson. 

Shiflett scored the next two goals in rapid succession before Kaylen Pray added the fourth with a solo dribbling effort. 

The second half saw freshman Kay Botkin net a hat trick for the Rivals, aided by a solid defensive effort from Iris Mattern and Clare Johnson splitting passes and creating space. 

Senior captain Savanna Hoffman, typically a goalkeeper for the team, played on the offensive side and scored two goals. Junior Izzy McCracken scored an excellent goal from a corner kick to seal the deal. The Rivals finished 10-0, as they put on a sublime performance on the night.

When the East Jefferson girls took on Cascade Christian on Sept. 20, they continued their winning ways, beating their opponents 4-0. 

Kaylen Pray opened the scoring for the night, with a long-range shot from the right in the eighth minute. 

Right before half, Clare Johnson scored a volley from a well-placed corner kick from Ava Shiflett. 

Johnson returned the favor to Shiflett early in the second half, with a clever pass to Shiflett, and releasing for a one-on-one against the goalie. Shiflett finished the play confidently, shooting the ball into the net. 

Five minutes later, Kay Botkin found space on the left side, and passed the ball to Johnson, who stuck a beautiful shot right into the goal from 20 yards out. Senior captain and goalie Savanna Hoffman earned a clean sheet for the night with three saves for the Rivals, marking the second game in a row with no goals allowed. The midfield duo of Iris Mattern and Johnson controlled the game from the center, leaving Hoffman relatively untroubled for the game. Izzy McCracken and Aurin Asbell led the defense and kept any threats away from East Jefferson’s goal. 

The match finished 4-0 as the Rival girls won their second match in a row.