It became clear very early in Tuesday night’s 4A playoff game between No. 8 seed Henley and No. 9 seed Gladstone that a battle of opposing forwards would likely decide the winner.
The Hornets’ Mya Mauch and the Gladiators’ Tori Vera launched into a duel right out of the gate. Seconds after the opening kickoff, Mauch slipped into the penalty area and put a close range shot into the right side of the net. On the ensuing goal kick, the ball found its way to Vera, who outran the Henley back line for a good look at goal that was saved by Madelyn Sreniawski. Sreniawski quickly sent the ball back upfield for a counterattack that ended with Mauch’s shot hitting the crossbar.
Although none of the other 79 minutes were quite as thrilling as the first, the game still contained plenty of scoring chances.
Only one was converted, though.
Vera scored a chip shot goal from the left side of the penalty area off a throw-in in the 59th minute to lift Gladstone to a 1-0 win. In a game with so many near misses, it was perhaps fitting that Vera’s attempt looked less than an inch away from staying out; the ball floated just over the fingertips of a leaping Sreniawski and touched off the bottom of the crossbar before falling into the goal. It was the 32nd goal of the season for Vera, who entered Tuesday as Oregon’s fifth-leading scorer.
The Hornets, who were trying to advance to their first state quarterfinals since 2015, suffered their second loss of the season and were shut out for the second time in their last three games. Henley had scored at least one goal in each of their first 12 games.
“We’ve had that on and off this season where our shots just aren’t going in,” Henley head coach Michael Hedlund said. “But they didn’t give up, and they did a good job today.”
The opening minute set the tone for much of the first half, with the teams continuing to trade scoring chances. Henley earned four corner kicks, and Vera had four more shots on goal plus one that went into the side of the net. Both teams also missed wide on open shots in the penalty area.
Gladstone took control of the game in the second half, earning three corner kicks and keeping Henley’s forwards at bay. The Hornets had an opportunity to answer Vera’s goal one minute after it happened, but failed to connect on an open header.
Gladstone, which has missed the state quarterfinals just twice since the 4A classification received its own tournament in 2010, will travel to No. 1 seed Marist Catholic Saturday. Henley’s season is over, along with the high school careers of its four seniors: Mauch, Halle McKay, Makay Clark and Lily Preston.
“They are good players and great kids and they’re going to be missed,” Hedlund said. “They were team leaders this year.”
Despite a disappointing finish to what seemed like a promising season, Hedlund said he’s proud of what the Hornets accomplished this year–namely, winning their first league championship since 2014–and feels the season was “a great first step” for a young team.
“We’re only losing four seniors,” Hedlund said. “We’re going to be even better next year.”
