RICHLAND -- Kirsten Calmus knows she's not blessed with a lot of natural speed, especially when she's playing hurt on a twisted ankle.
But the Richland forward knows how to put herself in the right place at the right time, leading her team to an important 3-2 CBBN 4A victory over Davis at Bomber Field.
"This was a big game because there's three teams (Davis, Moses Lake and Richland) tied for first in the standings," Calmus said.
Calmus, a senior, took a pass from midfielder Jill Cherry, dribbled into the Pirates' penalty box and drew a penalty on Davis goalkeeper Teresa Salazar in the 78th minute. She took the ensuing penalty kick and beat Salazar to the left side, putting Richland up 3-1.
"I saw the ball coming in, but I didn't know which way to go," said Calmus, who only recently returned from a bad sprain in July and hasn't quite returned to the form that made her an all-CBBN 4A selection last season.
"I knew if I kept going, (Salazar) would have to come get me," she said.
Elfering found some humor in the play but loved the end result.
"I asked her, 'Could you have possibly have gone any slower?' " Elfering said.
The goal seemed like an afterthought at the time, but it turned out to be a critical one after Pirates forward Aimee Silva caught the Bombers defense napping with a late goal to cut it to 3-2.
"I think if we hadn't given up that late goal, I would have been a lot happier," Richland coach Sara Elfering said. "But a win always feels good, especially against a good opponent."
The Bombers, who outshot Davis 16-10, missed a few golden opportunities to add to their lead, including a pair of textbook crosses from Yesenia Alvarado and Allison Boynton that didn't get finished.
But senior Jill Cherry got it right in the 27th minute, heading in a cross from the right corner from Katherine Virden for the first goal of the game.
"That was an outstanding first goal for her and a nice service from Katherine," Elfering said. "(Cherry) basically sold out with her eyes on the ball. She was all grassed up in her white uni."
But Davis answered back two minutes later, as Silva took a pass from McKenna Morten and drove it off the crossbar and into the goal to tie it at 1.
"I wasn't particularly pleased with the firest half," Elfering said. "In the second half, I stressed that Davis was a good team and they can't be looked past."
Richland came out with some nice fire to begin the second half, forcing two quick corner kicks in the first five minutes. Finally, they got the chance they were looking for after Virden sent a ball from midfield up to Kayla Deen on the left hash.
Deen advanced the ball into the Pirates 18-yard box and managed a right-footed shot that was slightly off line. But Boynton didn't give up on the play, catching up to the ball at the right post and tapping it in for a 2-1 lead.
"Virden's play made that possible," Elfering said.
Davis felt the pain of a few of their own missed chances. The Pirates put plenty of shots on frame, but Bombers goalkeeper Shelby Long seemed to be in the right position almost every time.
"We had enough scoring opportunities. That's the nature of the game," said Davis coach Mike Hernandez.
Scoring--1, R, Jill Cherry (Katherine Virden), 27:00; 2, D, Aimee Silva (McKenna Morton), 29:00; 3, R, Allison Boynton (Kayla Deen), 45:00; 4, R, Kirsten Calmus (Cherry), 78:00; 5, D, Silva, 79:00. Shots--D 10, R 16. Saves--D, Teresa Salazar 8. R, Shelby Long 5.
Eisenhower 2, Chiawana 1 (SO)
Chiawana's Lexi Miller tied the score in the first half with a goal in the 28th minute, but Eisenhower went on to record the shootout win in a CBBN 4A matchup in Yakima.
Scoring: 1, E, 6:00; 2, C, Alyssa Miller, 28:00. Shots--C, 10. E 12. Goalies--C, Shelby English 6.
