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LAKEWOOD -- There wasn't much left that Jori Skorpik, Kamiakin's small but mighty forward, could do in the final minutes of Saturday's 1-0 loss to Kentwood but throw herself into harm's way to try to get an edge.
Her frustrations coming to a boil, she attempted to push Mykala Benjamin off the ball after the formidable Conquerors defender challenged her in the back third.
Kentwood fans gasped, expecting a foul, although Benjamin scarcely budged from the two-handed shove.
Alas, Skorpik's workmanlike efforts over a long weekend at Harry Lang Stadium came up empty, and the Braves' season came to an end with a fourth-place finish at the 4A state tournament.
"She needed more help," said Kamiakin coach Chris Erikson, who capped her 23rd season with her fifth trophy finish. All in all, it was a season she felt her team could be proud of.
"I think it was a terrific season," she said. "I'm really going to miss the seniors. They can walk away this year knowing they played really hard."
It was a season Skorpik was proud of, too, although her tears following the loss failed to mask her wanting a bit more in the end.
"There wasn't enough fire," said Skorpik, who finished the season with 21 goals and eight assists, as well as CBBN co-MVP honors. "You can't ask everybody what they're thinking, but not everybody was on the same page.
"It is disappointing, but looking back, finishing fourth out of all the teams -- not very many teams can say they trophied at state."
Ultimately, it was a well-placed shot from Kentwood midfielder Reilly Retz in the 15th minute that made the difference. The sophomore controlled the ball on the left wing and hit a soft liner that cleared Braves goalkeeper Madi Meyer and tucked inside the far post for a goal.
Skorpik did create some problems for the Conquerors defense, creating a pair of first-half scoring chances that undoubtedly would have changed the flow of the game.
She followed up a rebound off a free kick by Taylor Schutzenhofer in the 10th minute and punched it past Kentwood goalie Megan Walburn. But the linesman's flag waved on the far sideline, indicating an offsides call and thereby disallowing the goal.
In the 29th minute, Skorpik again charged into the heart of the Conquerors defense and chipped a 15-yarder over Walburn that nearly tied the score. But instead of finding the net, the ball found the crossbar and bounced away for a defender to clear.
Bush 3, Connell 1
PUYALLUP -- Brianna Casper scored on a breakaway to give Connell a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute, but Bush scored three unanswered goals to win the 1A consolation final.
The Blazers tied the score at 1 just a minute later after a shot eluded Eagles goalkeeper Maci Whitby in the 16th minute.
"She thought she had it, but it went right through her legs," said Connell coach Hugo Garcia. "They were a really good passing team. We just fell apart."
Casper's goal was her fifth of the postseason, but they were the only tallies Connell could manage over the final two games.
"She did good," Garcia said. "Unfortunately, we didn't have enough manpower to help her up front."
