The Archbishop Murphy High School girls soccer team plays in the Class 2A final four on Friday and Saturday at Shoreline Stadium. The Wildcats face Columbia River in the semifinals, with the winner facing the Ridgefield-Hockinson winner for the state championship. Here’s a capsule look at Friday’s semifinal:
When: 8 p.m.
Where: Shoreline Stadium
Archbishop Murphy: 21-0, first in Wesco 3A, beat Sammamish 9-0 and Tumwater 5-0 to reach the semifinals.
About the Wildcats: Archbishop Murphy, the No. 1 seed, is looking to finish off one of the most dominant seasons ever produced by a local girls soccer team. The Wildcats blew through a league of 3A schools, crushed their first two state opponents, and have outscored the opposition 115-7. Archbishop Murphy has been led in its five postseason victories by the usual subjects, as senior forwards Jojo Chiangpradit (seven goals), Jordyn Latta (six goals, five assists) and Taylor Campbell (five goals, three assists) have led the line with junior Cameron Bourne (six goals, six assists) providing support from midfield. The Wildcats are seeking the third state championship in school history and first since 2009.
Columbia River: 18-3, first in Greater St. Helens League 2A, beat White River 2-1 and Fife 2-1 to reach the semifinals.
About the Rapids: Columbia River, the No. 5 seed, may be the underdog, but no team has more state pedigree than the Rapids, who have qualified for state in 10 straight seasons, winning three state championships in the process (the first of those coming in 3A). That includes claiming the 2019 state title, making Columbia River the defending state champ since there were no state playoffs in 2020-21. The Rapids are led by junior midfielder Andie Buckley, who is tied for the team lead in goals with seven and leads the team in assists with 12, while junior defender Ava Lapinskas has scored five goals in Columbia River’s past three contests.
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