The Walla Walla women's soccer team is back at its home away from home this weekend.
For the seventh consecutive season, the Warriors earned a trip to the Starfire Soccer Complex in Tukwila for the NWAACC semifinals, and they've done so in dominating fashion.
Walla Walla (20-0-1), the East Divison champion, will take on Everett (13-5-2), the North champ, at 10:30 a.m. today for a spot in the championship. The two teams have faced each other once before, playing to a 1-1 draw on Sept. 6.
"They're an athletic team in the back and can cause you some problems if you're not ready," Warriors coach Chad Bodnar said of the Trojans, who have outscored teams 53-16 this season. "If we come out the way we can play, we should be playing (for a title) Sunday."
It wouldn't be the first time for Walla Walla. In fact, the Warriors are looking for their third consecutive NWAACC women's championship. After outscoring teams 99-5 this season -- with 17 shutouts -- it's certainly a reasonable expectation.
"The players have been here before, and they embrace it now. We had about three or four years where we couldn't get it done, but now (a title) is the expectation," Bodnar said.
Leading the Warriors is former Pasco star and East MVP Kaylie Winston (30 goals, 9 assists), and former Southridge standout Courtney Hancock (11 shutouts).
"(Winston) is a target center forward, and she's always in a spot to score goals. She's good passing the ball, but she can finish," Bodnar said. "(Hancock) has changed dramatically in terms of her work ethic. She's really grown up over the last couple years, and she's going to be a special goalkeeper for somebody else after this."
The winner of the first semifinal will play today's 1 p.m. winner between Peninsula (16-2-3) and Clackamas (11-5-1) in the championship at 3 p.m. on Sunday at Starfire.















