After Edmonds-Woodway handed 2A/3A Wesco League-leading Snohomish their first league loss of the season last week, there may have been some concern that the Warriors wouldn’t take their next opponent, the lowly Mountlake Terrace Hawks, seriously on Thursday.

Those concerns proved to be unfounded as the Warriors overcame both the Hawks and the inclement weather and grabbed a 2-0 win in a match played at Lynnwood High School.

Junior forward Michaela Danyo scored the Warriors’ opening goal of the match at the 30-minute mark, then teammate Jazmine Nunez added a second-half goal to secure the victory for E-W.

While Nunez had the benefit of scoring her goal in relatively dry conditions, Danyo did not — the first half was played in a driving rainstorm that let up at halftime.

Thursday’s win was the Warriors’ third in a row and fifth in their last six matches, the most impressive being the Oct. 12 triumph over a Snohomish team that has been ranked as high as No. 5 in 3A state rankings this year. But whether E-W is facing the Wesco League leader or a squad with just one league victory like Mountlake Terrace, the team’s approach is the same.

“We don’t underestimate any team; we come in with the same mentality: Let’s do this, let’s go onto the field and just play the team we are playing,” Danyo said.

The one-game-at-a-time philosophy seems to be working for E-W as the 2017 season winds down. The Warriors will host Shorewood in their regular season finale on Tuesday, Oct. 24, then will likely play a District 1 3A Girls Soccer Tournament play-in game on either Oct. 25 or 26.

Heading down the stretch, Danyo feels her squad has peaked at the most opportune time. “I think we’ve really come together as a team, and it’s something I’ve been waiting for throughout this season,” she stated. “We love each other so much; we pump each other up and we really work together.”

For Terrace Coach Alvin Little, Thursday’s loss to E-W wasn’t too disheartening as his squad still has a good chance to qualify for the District 1/2 2A Girls Soccer Tournament that begins on Thursday, Oct. 26. By his calculations, his team currently holds the no. 12 seed in the 12-team tourney with one game remaining in the regular season.

“We’re (number) 12 of 12,” Little said with a smile. “If I can get a little bit healthy by next Thursday, then who knows. We could make a little bit of noise (in the district tournament), maybe.”

Playing a regular season schedule of mostly 3A teams, the 2A Hawks have few wins yet likely enough to grab the final ticket into the 2A district tourney. But Little also confessed that the 3A schedule has taken a toll on his players.

“We’re just hurt and beat up a little bit, but the Wesco League does that to you – it’s a really tough league,” Little said.

The Hawks’ remaining regular season match-up is with Oak Harbor, a squad that has only two wins this season. A win over or draw with the Wildcats should insure Terrace a spot in the 2A district tournament.

No matter the Hawks’ postseason fate, Little praised his team for their determination this year, especially in their loss to E-W on Thursday.

“The one thing I am proud of the girls is that they don’t quit,” Little said. “They’re fighting and scrapping and scraping and doing the best they can, and that’s all I can ask from them. All and all, at 2-0, we can still walk away with our heads high.”

In other Terrace sports on Thursday, the Hawk volleyball team celebrated Senior Night with a 3-1 (20-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-14) over Shorecrest. With the victory Terrace raised its record to 3-8 in 2A/3A Wesco League play, 4-9 overall. The Hawks will close out their regular season on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at Marysville-Getchell, then head into the District 1/2 2A Volleyball Tournament with a match likely on Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Prep Girls Soccer: Edmonds-Woodway at Mountlake Terrace, Oct. 19

Edmonds-Woodway   1 1 — 2
Mountlake Terrace     0 0 — 0

Goal scoring:

Michaela Danyo (Edmonds-Woodway), assisted by Morgan Davis, in the 30th minute

Jazmine Nunez (Edmonds-Woodway), unassisted, in the 51st minute

Saves:

Hannah Hicks (Edmonds-Woodway) — 7

Ella Seavers (Mountlake Terrace) — 6

Corner kicks:

Edmonds-Woodway — 5

Mountlake Terrace — 3

Records:

Edmonds-Woodway 6-2-3 in 2A/3A Wesco League, 8-3-3 overall

Mountlake Terrace 1-8-2 in 2A/3A Wesco League, 2-10-2 overall

Edmonds-Woodway next match: versus Shorewood, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m. at Edmonds Stadium

Mountlake Terrace next match: versus Oak Harbor, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 7:00 p.m. at Oak Harbor High School

Prep Volleyball: Shorecrest at Mountlake Terrace, Oct. 19

Mountlake Terrace 3 – Shorecrest 1 (20-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-14)

Records: Mountlake Terrace 3-8 in 2A/3A Wesco League, 4-9 overall; Shorecrest 3-7 in 2A/3A Wesco League, 3-9 overall

Mountlake Terrace next match: versus Marysville-Getchell, Oct. 25, 7:00 p.m. at Marysville-Getchell High School

–By Doug Petrowski