Lady Cruiser soccer team wraps up season on high note

The Lady Cruiser soccer team finished off its COVID-shortened season on a two-game win streak.

On March 23, the Cruisers played the Washington Patriots at Franklin Pierce Stadium and outscored the Patriots, 4-1.

Michelle Kahler led the team scoring with two goals while Alivia Bertram and Hailey Rath each scored one apiece with assists from Kennedy Noble and Aubrey Wicker.

Eatonville finished off the season by playing their final game at home at B.W. Lyons Field against the Clover Park Warriors.

In front of a large home crowd, the Cruisers blanked the Warriors, 5-0, for their second shutout of the season and their third win overall.

Rath recorded a hat trick (3 goals) for the Cruisers. Kahler and Tianna Lewis also scored goals of their own in the win.

Lady Cruiser head coach Machaela Swartout said she was happy with the way her team played.

“Last night’s game is a game that will forever make a coach’s heart happy,” Swartout said. “We have been practicing since July, so the challenge has been to keep everyone engaged because that's a long time especially at the high school level.”

Swartout said she was proud of the Cruisers’ perseverance.

“… After waiting for so long, and after some tough losses, they not once dropped their heads,” she said. “In the final game of a strange season, we had smiles, dance parties, laughs, and every player got to step on the field along with a great senior send off and standing ovation for our great seniors who have put so much into this program (Katherine Lewis, Bertram and Kymmee Workman). At the end of the season, I could not be more proud to be the coach of this amazing team. I am already looking forward to next season with this team.”

The Lady Cruisers wrapped up the season with a 3-6-1 record.