Warden surrenders goal in final minute

WARDEN - The Warden Cougars girls volleyball team battled the wind and the Naches Valley High School Rangers before falling in the game's 80th minute.

The Cougars and Rangers played through a scoreless first half Tuesday and seemed destined for overtime before the Rangers found the back of the net less than a minute before time expired.

Despite the loss, Warden head coach Don Edson was impressed with how well his team performed.

"We did well today," he said. "The last few games we've played, it seems like we have been in a little bit of a funk."

Before the match, Edson told his team to play aggressively and work together.

"I told them to work on their fundamentals," he said. "Doing the little things. Hopefully, it continues through the rest of the season."

The Cougars are coming off a Saturday loss to Connell and Edson said his team held strong against Naches Valley.

"Naches is one of the top teams in our league," he said.

Warden played Tuesday without its starting goalie, sophomore Juanita Gonzalez.

"That changes the way things are done," he said. "When we make that change, opportunities become further between."

Freshman forward Genesis Mendoza started the game in goal for the Cougars. Mendoza is a starting forward for Warden.