RIDGEFIELD SOPHOMORE Taryn Ries (3), shown here in a win over Highline in the state quarterfinals, scored 20 goals and had 27 assists to lead the Spudders to a third-place finish at the Class 2A girls soccer Final Four, played Nov. 21-22 at Shoreline Stadium near Seattle.
The Ridgefield High School girls soccer team reached new heights this season and there are plenty of reasons to believe the Spudders are going to continue to survive in that rarified air.
Ridgefield split two games at the Class 2A Final Four weekend, losing 3-2 to Shorecrest in the semifinals and defeating Ephrata 2-0 in the game for third place. The games were played Nov. 21-22 at Shoreline Stadium near Seattle.
“We’re tremendously proud of the girls,’’ said Robby Trimbo, referring to the Spudders’ coaching staff that includes assistants Jeremy Hanson and Mike Brown. “Many of these girls have been working hard for four years and this year many of them started their fitness training in March in advance of the season.’’
Trimbo and his coaching staff look back on the season, in which the team posted a 19-3-1 record, with satisfaction. They also eagerly look toward their bright future, but with the sadness of knowing nine seniors will no longer be putting on a Ridgefield uniform again.
“I try not to think about it,’’ said Trimbo, referring to the departure of his seniors. “It’s so much more than just knowing them as players. The nice thing about all the adventures that we’ve been through, aside from the soccer, is I’ve seen their character. So, I know that whatever they decide do in life, they’re going to be successful.’’
Ridgefield’s seniors this season included starting midfielders Jordyn Voyles and Ally Fox and starting defenders Ashley Christensen and Courtney Zumstein. Fellow seniors Gina Schroder, Autumn Wilson, Lexi Lucero, Emily Langdon and Camille Jeschke were also key contributors to the Spudders’ success this season.
Ridgefield will have seven starters returning from this year’s Final Four team, led by sophomore forward Taryn Ries.
“We have a lot of excitement for the future,’’ Trimbo said. “But, we’re going to take it all with a grain of salt and take it one year at a time just like we took this season one game at a time. We’re hopeful to continue this but we’re not going to put unnecessary stress on ourselves and expect all the stars to align and everything to be perfect every year.’’
Ries led the Spudders with 20 goals this season, the 20th coming in the loss to Shorecrest. She also assisted on both goals in the win over Ephrata.
“Taryn scored 20 goals this season and 20 last season but the difference is everybody knows about her now,’’ Trimbo said. “Against every team we play, she’s a target player for every team to mark. She had nine assists last season. This season she had 27 assists.
“Her method was finding a way around the focus on her by instead of trying to do everything herself, she set up her teammates to be successful rather than trying to be a one-man show,’’ Trimbo said.
Ries will be joined in the future by starters Kara Klaus and Madison Ochoa (forwards), midfielder Erin Seigel, outside defenders Brittanie Hoang and Julia Bradford and goalkeeper Sarah Kaufman.
Other returning Spudders include Ashton Rogers, Kelly Casper, Taylor Salewski, Olivia Jones, Abby Gardner and Jacquelyn Stapper.
The returning Spudders will have the benefit of their experience at the Final Four, which Trimbo said was very much unlike anything his team witnessed during the rest of the season.
“The biggest difference in the Final Four for us was how physical the play was,’’ Trimbo said. “It was just so much more physical than what we were used to so that was quite an adjustment. I’m sure we gave out a fair amount of bruises in return, but it took us a while to get used to it.’’
Ridgefield’s win over Ephrata was a hard-fought contest that went scoreless for the first 60 minutes until Ochoa scored on a header off a pass from Ries. Voyles then added a goal, again on a header, this time after a corner kick from Ries.
In the semifinal loss to Shorecrest, Ridgefield got behind 3-0 early in the second half but stormed back in the final 20 minutes.
Ries scored off a forward pass from Fox and then Klaus scored in the 72nd minute after a scrum in front of the net.
This season marked the fourth time in Trimbo’s five years as Ridgefield’s head coach that the Spudders advanced to the state playoffs. It was only the second time Ridgefield advanced past the first round.
