SNOHOMISH — Ryann Reynolds needed just a sliver of space.
With a perfectly placed laser to open the second half, the Pac-12-bound star lifted the Glacier Peak High School girls soccer team to an early edge in the Wesco 4A title race.
Reynolds scored the match’s lone goal in the 41st minute and the Grizzlies held off visiting Kamiak for a 1-0 win Thursday night in a pivotal clash of league championship contenders.
“She hits the ball so hard,” Glacier Peak coach Melinda Torre said. “I (wouldn’t) want to be in goal when she’s hitting balls. She’s just a next-level kid.”
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It was yet another big night for Reynolds, who has already reached the double-digit scoring mark just seven matches into the season.
The University of Oregon commit and standout senior forward has netted 10 of the Grizzlies’ 12 goals this fall, including a hat trick in last week’s 4-1 league-opening win over Lake Stevens.
Reynolds totaled 15 goals and 10 assists last year, teaming with then-senior Chloe Seelhoff to provide an elite one-two scoring punch that led Glacier Peak to the Class 4A state quarterfinals.
With Seelhoff having graduated and now on the University of Washington team, Reynolds has taken on an even bigger scoring role for the Grizzlies.
“Ryann is amazing,” Glacier Peak sophomore midfielder Brynna Pukis said.
“If you’re in goal, I’d just move out of the way, honestly,” she added with a laugh.
Ryann Reynolds has scored 10 of the Grizzlies’ 12 goals this season. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
With the match scoreless in the opening minute of the second half, the Grizzlies (3-2-2, 2-0 Wesco 4A) launched a throw-in to the box. Kamiak (7-4, 2-1) knocked the ball down and tried to flick it away from danger, but instead sent it right to Glacier Peak senior forward Alyssa Castillo.
Castillo directed the ball back toward Reynolds, who was streaking from left to right atop the 18-yard box.
Reynolds then one-timed the ball and fired a hooking two-hopper past a diving attempt from Kamiak’s goalkeeper, sending her shot curving into the lower left corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.
“I watch her hit those in training all the time,” Torre said. “(She’s the) real deal.”
The victory gave the Grizzlies an early advantage in the Wesco 4A title race. They now sit atop the five-team league standings as the only remaining unbeaten in conference play.
It was the first of two key league matchups between the pair of early Wesco 4A favorites, who meet again Oct. 18 at Kamiak.
Glacier Peak has made back-to-back 4A state tournament appearances and claimed at least a share of the past two Wesco 4A titles, winning the outright league crown in 2019 and splitting it with Jackson last season.
The Knights are a program on the rise, having already surpassed their win total from last year’s 6-9-2 campaign.
“Kamiak’s a good side,” Torre said. “They play good soccer. They’re smart kids. They’ve got talented kids. So we knew it was gonna be tough.”
Kamiak senior Mariyah McCrae and Glacier Peak sophomore Brynna Pukis battle for the ball. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
While Reynolds provided the scoring for Glacier Peak, the defensive play of the night came from senior defender Audrey Burgmaier.
In the sixth minute, the Knights sent a dangerous corner kick to the far left post, which drew Grizzlies senior goalkeeper Parker Lastala to that side of the net. A Kamiak player then headed the ball on frame to the center part of the net, away from Lastala.
But just when it looked like the Knights had an early lead, Burgmaier leaped up and headed the ball away to keep the match scoreless.
“That could’ve changed the game dramatically,” Torre said. “I mean, if they get a little bit of momentum and (score there), this is a different game.”
That was one of several dangerous scoring chances from both sides.
In the match’s opening minutes, Reynolds fired a strike that sailed a few feet over the crossbar.
Later in the first half, a Kamiak midfielder sprinted down the left sideline on a counterattack and had a one-on-one breakaway against Lastala. As Lastala came out from the net, the Knights’ attacker tried to push the ball past her, but sent it wide to the right.
And just a few minutes later, a Kamiak defender deflected a close-range shot to stymie a Glacier Peak scoring opportunity.
“My kids played hard, (Kamiak) played hard, and it ended up 1-0,” Torre said. “But the next time we play them, it’s gonna be a tossup again. I think you’re seeing the two top teams right now in Wesco.”
Glacier Peak senior Alyssa Castillo kicks a loose ball. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lastala, who moved to goalkeeper this season, made several quality saves to earn the shutout for the Grizzlies.
“She’s come up big,” Torre said. “She’s been working really, really hard. … We didn’t have enough keepers, and we asked her to play in goal. She’s just been working her butt off to try and get better every day. So I’m really proud of that kid.”
Glacier Peak opened the season by going 1-2-2 against a tough non-league slate.
But after a pair of victories to open conference play, the Grizzlies find themselves in a familiar position atop the Wesco 4A standings.
“We fought really hard against a tough team,” Pukis said. “We just put all our heart into it and (got) the win.”
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated which player provided the assist on Glacier Peak’s goal. Alyssa Castillo passed to Ryann Reynolds for the assist.
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