FORKS — It’s been a rough road for the girls soccer programs at Forks and Chimacum this season.
The Spartans didn’t have enough players to field a team last season, so a two-year gap between games for their most experienced players put them in an awkward position to start.
The Cowboys have had a low turnout and have struggled to be competitive in losses to Class 2A Olympic League programs.
Simple geography works against each team, as trips to Aberdeen or Port Angeles are the closest options for offseason club soccer for the Spartans, journeys to Poulsbo or Silverdale the closest for the Cowboys.
Chimacum and Forks tried to put those issues aside when they met Saturday at Spartan Stadium with a chance at a hard-to-come-by victory available to each team.
Chimacum took advantage early, scoring three goals in the first 11 minutes, and came out on top 6-1.
The Cowboys (0-5, 1-5) scored first on a rebound goal by freshman Bradyn Nelson in the sixth minute.
It was the first of four goals from the Chimacum forward.
Emma Craighead’s shot was blocked by Forks goalie Tristina Smith, but with no Spartans defenders around to clear the ball from danger, Nelson pounced on the rebound and tapped it home.
She scored again two minutes later when Smith was unable to find a teammate with a pass from the goal mouth and Nelson swooped in to score with a well-placed kick to the left side of the goal.
“I’ve been getting aggravated with myself because I’ve had some chances this year and haven’t been able to put anything in,” Nelson said.
“I was able to get a few today, though.”
Her third goal came after some help from midfielder Melanie Pieper.
Pieper lofted a ball over the Forks defenders heads and Nelson ran to it and powered it past Smith for her third goal in 11 minutes.
Forks (0-7, 0-7-1) coach Joe Morton moved Smith to defender and put in backup goalie Rebekah Johansen, and the moved seemed to settle the Spartans down defensively.
Pieper added the Cowboys’ fourth goal on a tap-in in the 36th minute.
The best scoring opportunities of the half for Forks came on well-positioned corner kicks into the Chimacum goal box.
Smith sent a corner in and Natasha Armenta fired a shot on goal, but Cowboys goalie Kyah McKinley stopped the shot before it could leak in the right corner.
V. Goodlance sent in another well-placed corner that Smith just missed scoring on right before halftime.
Johansen had a number of nice saves in the early moments of the second half for the Spartans.
She did end up allowing a goal when Pieper found Holly Snider, who deked past a Forks defender for the fifth Chimacum goal in the 51st minute.
The Spartans controlled the ball much more in the second half, putting together a number of scoring opportunities and earning multiple corner kicks.
Mariana Gomez was strong in midfield after halftime for Forks, holding the ball and sending through passes up the line to Rani Banks and Lupe Salazer.
Goodlance kept sending in solid corners, and eventually a corner in the 63rd minute helped earn a handball call on Cowboys defender Alice Yaley.
“V can really strike the ball well,” Spartans coach Joe Morton said.
“That’s why she takes those for us, she’s really accurate and makes sure to get it in the box.”
Banks stepped up to take the penalty and slotted it home in the lower left corner for Forks’ second goal of the season.
“Rani never stops running and isn’t afraid of anybody on the field,” Morton said.
“It was good for her to put that kick away.”
Nelson’s fourth goal came two minutes from the end of the match when the Spartans failed to clear the ball after a free kick and Nelson was dead-on from the center of the box.
“This is the first game where we’ve been able to play as a team and hold possession and have success,” Nelson said.
“It feels really good.”
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
