Clarkston strikers Taylen Wohl and Makinzie Packwood erased all suspense Thursday when they immediately took turns toying with the Pullman defense, leaving no doubt who would win this 2A District 7 girls' soccer tournament match.
They instead added new intrigue after halftime, forcing the rain-soaked audience at Lincoln Middle School to wonder which Bantam player would be the first to complete their hat trick.
"We always just play off each other, so it's just whoever gets that opportunity," Packwood said.
It turned out to be Wohl, who scored her third goal in the 62nd minute with this one already well in hand, as the second-seeded Bantams easily advanced to the next round thanks to a 5-0 victory over the fifth-seeded Pullman Greyhounds.
Packwood netted a pair of goals in the 24th and 44th minutes for the Bantams (11-4-1), who will face West Valley at noon Saturday. The fourth-seeded Eagles defeated Cheney 3-1 on Thursday.
The loss ends the season for Pullman, which went 0-12 in Great Northern League play and finishes with a 1-16 overall record.
"We'll figure out how to get better and we'll make progress and start closing the gap on some of these teams," Pullman coach Doug Winchell said. "Clarkston is good. The combination of Taylen and Makinzie is pretty hard for us, speed-wise, to slow down. My best for them to continue on in the postseason and do well."
Wohl and Packwood, both juniors, used that speed, and chemistry, to either score or assist on every goal Thursday.
"They've been great all year, and they're getting better," Clarkston coach Ryan Newhouse said. "They're playing in proximity of each other, they stay 5-10 yards from each other and just carve up defenses. They're so creative. It's fun to watch."
Probably not for Pullman goalkeeper Jocelyn Gross, who surrendered a goal 6 minutes into the game and recorded just two saves against seven shots. After Wohl broke free from the defense, she hurdled a diving Gross on the left side of the box then fired at a wide open net to take a 1-0 lead.
Wohl's second and third goals looked just as easy. The second came in the 23rd on an assist from Packwood, then Wohl finished her hat trick with another unassisted goal in the 62nd to cement her second three-score game of the year, with the home team ahead 5-0.
"She was on her game today," Packwood said. "Her passing was perfect. She set me up so many times."
Packwood gave Clarkston a 3-0 lead in the 24th, winning a one-on-one opportunity against Gross, whose outstretched arms just missed the shot. A steal led to Packwood's goal in the 44th, which gave the Bantams a 4-0 advantage.
"She did pretty good," Wohl said of Packwood. "Us two connected really well together."
Clarkston's offense stole the show, but the defense was just as dominant. Pullman went the entire match without a shot on goal, making it a very uneventful day for Bantam keeper Katelyn Bittle.
"I'm not mad about it," Newhouse said.
Pullman 0 0-0
Clarkston 3 2-5
Clarkston - Taylen Wohl, 6th
Clarkston - Wohl (Makinzie Packwood), 23rd
Clarkston - Packwood, 24th
Clarkston - Packwood, 44th
Clarkston - Wohl, 62nd
Shots - Clarkston 7, Pullman 0
Saves - Clarkston: Katelyn Bittle 0, Pullman: Jocelyn Gross 2
Michael-Shawn Dugar can be reached at (208) 883-4627, by email to mdugar@dnews.com or on Twitter to @MikeDugar.
