Glad coeds take care of business

The Gladiators win their girls soccer openers, defeating North Marion and Cascade

By John Denny

The Clackamas Review, Sep 23, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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Gladstone and Molalla were tied for first place at the end of the first week of play in Capital Conference girls soccer.

The Gladiators (3-0-1, 2-0-0) kicked off their conference season with a 4-1 trouncing of North Marion and with a 3-0 shutout of Cascade; Molalla (3-0-1, 2-0-0) launched its conference campaign with a 7-1 rout of Cascade and with a 3-0 shutout of Stayton.

It took a half for the Gladiators to get their game going in last Thursday’s shutout of Cascade. It was a scoreless tie at halftime, but the Gladiators scored three goals inside the first nine minutes of the second half.

“We did a much better job of passing and moving the ball [in the second half],” said Gladstone coach Steve Thomas. “We were just kicking the ball and running in the first half. I told the girls they looked like a seventh grade rec team [in the first half].”

Freshman McKenna Hopkins broke the ice, scoring just 43 seconds into the second half, off a pass from sophomore Haleigh Murrell.

Seven minutes later, freshman Madison Cronin crossed the ball in to sophomore Ashley Beykovsky and Beykovsky found the net.

Beykovsky scored again a minute later on a 35-yard free kick to round out the scoring.

Thomas had his side with a 26-1 advantage in shots and he said Cascade’s keeper made 15 saves.

Thomas singled out defenders Kellie Skofstad, Meagan Bartz, Regan Cronin and Breannah Williams for standout play, along with defensive midfielder Jessica Hopkins.

Hopkins was named Gladstone’s “player of the game.”

Thomas said of the game with North Marion, “Their goalie [Genaya Surcamp] in my mind was the best goalie in league last year. If it wasn’t for her, we would have won by the maximum of seven goals that our league allows.”

Thanks to Surcamp’s heroics, Gladstone’s lead was only 2-1 at halftime.

Freshman Amber Jensen and Murrell scored Gladstone’s first-half goals.

Senior Jessica Hopkins and Jensen found the net in the second half.

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