EPHRATA – On Tuesday, the Tigers secured a 2-1 win over the Ellensburg Bulldogs. The Tigers’ head coach Gary Klepec said his team earned a good win but still has some things to work on.  

“We played really well; we controlled the match for the most part. We had multiple chances (to score), we just have to start finishing those opportunities that we have in front of the goal. We're playing good soccer,” Klepec said.  

Klepec said the Tigers excelled at keeping the ball at their end of the field and creating scoring opportunities. On the day, the Tigers had 21 shots on goal.  

In the first half, the Tigers scored their first goal. Brooklynn Sieverkropp capitalized on a teammate's shot attempt and finished the play for the Tigers.  

“It kind of bounced around in the goal, and she just kind of ran through it, and it kind of went in. She was there and was able to be aggressive and get to the ball,” Klepec said.  

Going into halftime, the Tigers led 1-0 and Klepec emphasized to his team that they needed to stay consistent with what they were doing on the field. They also made some adjustments to limit a key contributor to the Bulldogs' attack.  

They adjusted their formation to a double stopper, Klepec said. Lila Rainey filled the spot and was a shutdown defender for the Tigers.  

“She was like a wall back there. She made a big difference,” Klepec said.  

In the second half, the Tigers’ Paige Murray got the team's second score in the 26th minute to take a 2-0 lead. However, the Bulldogs responded a minute later with a score of their own to cut the deficit to 2-1. Klepec said he tries to emphasize not allowing opponents to respond within a few minutes of scoring.  

Klepec said the team relaxed just enough that the Bulldogs could take advantage.  

“I can't tell you how many times I've had that as a coach, where you just relax just a little bit, just enough to allow the other team within the next three to five minutes to come down and score,” he said.  

From there, it was a defensive battle between the two teams. However, the Tigers would prevail in that battle and held off the Bulldogs to secure the win. Klepec said the victory over Ellensburg felt like a good indicator of where his team is as they move into league play.  

“It just felt good to beat Ellensburg, and (they’re) usually one of the top teams in our league. I'm hoping that's kind of an indication of where we'll be. Hopefully in that top end,” he said.  

The last few games the Tigers had been without goalkeeper Aiyana Valle due to a concussion. However, she was back for the Tigers against Ellensburg, and it made a world of difference, Klepec said.  

He said the team is starting to come together and has controlled the game over the last few matches. He is hopeful of their potential if they can stay on top of injuries as the season continues.  

“I feel like we're doing a good job as a team and playing as a team. Hopefully that'll just carry over into the season, and we'll get some good wins in these league games,” Klepec said.  

The Tigers have one last non-league game against the Moses Lake Mavericks on Thursday, Sept. 25, at 6 p.m.  

BOX SCORE: 

EPHT: 1-1: 2
ELLN: 0-1: 1