After winning a state tournament game for the first time in 32 years, the Mountlake Terrace Hawks girls soccer team was rewarded for their historic victory with a matchup against the defending 3A state champions Lakeside Lions.

Terrace found out on Friday just how good the defending champs are again this year.

The Lions showed off their ability to control the ball, the midfield and nearly every aspect of the game and dominated in a 3-0 defeat of the Hawks in a WIAA 3A State Girls Soccer Tournament loser-out game played at Seattle’s Interbay Stadium.

The defeat ended a Mountlake Terrace season that saw the team soar to heights not achieved since the 1990 Hawks went 1-1 in the 3A state tourney that fall.

This year’s Terrace team, seeded No. 14 in the state tournament, got past No. 19-seeded Auburn Mountainview 1-0 on Nov. 9, but two days later were no match for a bigger, stronger and more experienced Lakeside squad.

“They’re a good team. They outplayed us tonight,” conceded Hawks’ Coach George Dremousis. 

“Every girl on that team has quality and they took it to us,” Dremousis continued. “They looked like the better team and they’re defending state champs for a reason.”

Nearly the entirety of Friday’s match was played on the Terrace side of the pitch’s midfield line. The Lions fired off 17 shots in the game while the Hawks mustered none. With Terrace’s inability to get off any shots, Lakeside’s freshman goalkeeper Isabel Willems was not forced into making any saves in the game.

The closest the Hawks got to testing WIllems was well after the outcome of the match seemed already determined. In the 76th minute — and with Lakeside holding a 3-0 lead — Terrace junior Natalie Cardin sent a free kick toward the Lions’ far post in hopes that a teammate could connect with it. But Willems got to the ball first. She fumbled an attempt to catch the ball but quickly recovered and pounced on it before any Hawks were able to poke it into the open net.

In contrast to Willems’ easy night, Terrace goalkeeper Sierra Sonko was quite busy in the game. The senior made six saves and had to sprint off her goal line multiple times to grab balls being sent into the Hawks’ 18-yard box.

Sonko’s best save of the night came in the 55th minute. With her left hand, Sonko stopped a 10-yard rocket off the foot of Lakeside’s Eleanor Morrissey that otherwise was destined to be a goal.

Sonko was forced into making diving saves in the 16th minute, the 39th minute and the 47th minute.

The three goals Lakeside did score on Friday were off shots that Sonko had no chance of stopping. The Lions got on the scoreboard in the 26th minute on a well-taken penalty kick by senior Poppy Honeybone. The PK was awarded after Sonko knocked over Lakeside’s Lexie Roth in the box.

Just five minutes later the Lions tallied their second goal on a blast by Roth from just 8 yards out. 

Lakeside’s Alison Tan completed the scoring when the senior got to a bouncing ball sent into the middle of the 18-yard box and confidently stroked the ball into the netting.

Despite the loss, Dremousis said he was proud of the way his team played against the state tournament’s No. 3 seed.

“We did the best we could; we hung in but at the end of the day sometimes the better team beats you,” Dremousis said.

With the loss, the Hawks end their 2022 campaign with a 12-4-4 record and a victory in a state tournament match, achievements that Dremousis raved about. 

“We had a good run,” Dremousis said. “We won a state game which was big; that was important for us. (It’s) stepping stones, We’re back next year.”

After their loss Friday, the team gathered in a circle on the Interbay Stadium pitch one last time to hear from their coach. “I told the girls thanks for four years, those who have been there. And those coming back next year, we’ll see what it takes to get to that next level.”

To view the entire WIAA 3A State Girls Soccer Tournament bracket, click www.wpanetwork.com/wiaa/brackets/tournament.php?act=view&tournament_id3671. 

Prep Girls Soccer: Mountlake Terrace vs. Lakeside, Nov. 11 (WIAA 3A State Girls Soccer Tournament loser-out game)

Terrace 0 0 – 0

Lakeside 2 1 – 3

Goal scorers: Poppy Honeybone (Lakeside), PK in the 26th minute

Lexie Roth (Lakeside), assisted by Poppy Honeybone in the 31st minute

Brynlee Dubiel (Lakeside), off a corner kick in the 64th minute

Shots: Mountlake Terrace, 0

Lakeside, 17

Saves: Sierra Sonko (Mountlake Terrace), 6

Isabel Willems (Lakeside), 0

Corner kicks: Mountlake Terrace, 0

Lakeside, 3

Yellow cards: none

Records: Mountlake Terrace 12-4-4 overall; Lakeside 16-2-2 overall

Mountlake Terrace next game: 2022 season completed

Lakeside next game: versus Seattle Prep; Saturday, Nov. 12; 1 p.m. at Interbay Stadium (WIAA 3A State Girls Soccer Tournament quarterfinal loser-out game)

— By Doug Petrowski