Perfect no more! Salmon Bay FC hand FC Olympia their first loss

Salmon Bay FC earned a massive three points Sunday afternoon at home, beating FC Olympia 1–0 to keep their playoff hopes alive. 

FC Olympia came into Sunday’s match with a perfect seven wins in seven matches and were ranked third in the nation, making them the favorites on a sunny afternoon of soccer.

However, the hosts came out flying, knowing how crucial this clash was as only one team from the division can make the playoffs. 

In just the 3rd minute, Ella Hatteberg combined on the right side and launched a deep cross into the box. Sadie Sider-Echenberg surged away from her marker and coolly nodded the ball down into the back of the net, giving Salmon Bay the perfect start. 

FC Olympia looked stunned as Salmon Bay didn’t let off the pressure and kept relentlessly charging forward. 

By the 8th minute, Sider-Echenberg had another chance at the back post, this time volleying just wide. A few minutes later, Hallie Bergford held up play and whipped in a back-post cross that narrowly missed a trio of salmon shirts crashing in. 

Kelsey Kwon floated an excellent switch into the path of Sider-Echenberg, who drove to the endline and cut a pass across the box looking for Bergford. The delivery was blocked by a sliding Olympia defender in what looked like a handball, but the referee waved play on. 

In the 24th minute, an inswinging corner from Maia Tabion rattled off the top of the crossbar and was eventually poked clear by Olympia for another corner. The follow-up was punched out but quickly recycled to Bergford who hit a low-driven shot just wide at the near post. 

FC Olympia began building their into the game, possessing the ball farther up the field. Highlighted in the 27th with a quick turn and strike over the bar by Ginny Lackey, and again in the 31st minute when a long ball sprang their attack forward but the final effort missed just wide. A few warning signs of FC Olympia’s quality, but Salmon Bay held firm. 

Moments later, Ella Hatteberg drove forward again from the right and delivered a pinpoint cross this time to Tabion, whose volley was saved low by the keeper. The half ended with Salmon Bay confidently up 1-0. 

Olympia came out stronger in the second half, shifting their formation to add another midfielder to disrupt Salmon Bay’s control. 

In the 46th, Salmon Bay FC’s captain Elena Milam made a diving save on a volley from the top of the box. And again in the 65th, she stretched fully to tip a sharp strike over the bar. Six minutes later, she was called into action once more, diving low at the near post to deny Olympia’s closest chance of the half.

Withstanding that pressure, Salmon Bay turned to the bench for fresh legs. In the 65th minute, Aliyah Dockter and Alex Buck came on for Tabion and Bergford. 

In the 77th, Hatteberg cut in from a Severn through ball and picked out Aliyah Dockter in front of goal, but the delivery came in at an awkward height and her effort was smothered. 

Three more subs entered in the 78th: Jillian McBride, Fiona Doherty, and Juju Barker, adding stability to the closing stretch. 

The final moments were tense as Olympia made a late push with four substitutions in the 87th, desperate for an equalizer. But Salmon Bay managed the closing minutes brilliantly. 

The whistle blew and the home crowd erupted in cheer after a complete performance from their team.

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