2A girls soccer playoffs: Waterford overcomes slow start to advance in tourney

SANDY — Heading into Saturday's quarterfinal matchup against Beaver, the fourth-ranked Waterford girls soccer team was not exactly in the perfect frame of mind.

Having dropped consecutive games in the week prior, to Wasatch and top-ranked St. Joseph, the Ravens were faced with the unenviable but common playoff task of preparing for an unfamiliar opponent. After a sluggish start, however, the Ravens were able to right the ship and shake off a resilient Beaver squad by a 4-0 score.

"This game was a little tough for us to prepare for, not really knowing what to expect," said Waterford coach Tim Dolbin. "Knowing there's a different style of play down there in the south than there is up here, it was a hard game to get prepared for. We didn't play well the first 30 minutes, and I think that's a reflection of not being prepared."

Dolbin's squad came out slowly in the opening minutes, with neither side able to maintain possession. However, Waterford slowly began to assert itself later in the first half, unleashing a flurry of shots on Beaver keeper Hannalyn Snyder. The Ravens' efforts were rewarded in the 32nd minute when senior captain Emma Sindelar dribbled into the box from the right wing and fired a shot at Snyder, who knocked it away. Waterford's Kristen Johnsen was there to collect the rebound and knock it into the lower left corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.

Moments later, Sindelar would again set up a teammate, spotting teammate Jamie Duke streaking down the right wing. Duke then took one dribble and sent the ball into the net, putting the Ravens up 2-0.

"We have two anchors, and Emma (Sindelar) is one of them," said Dolbin of his captain. "We swing her from front to back, and she plays both very well. Sometimes she'll play up in the midfield, or as an attacking forward, and sometimes she'll sweep in the back for us."

Sindelar showed her versatility in the second half, switching roles from facilitator to attacker. In the 63rd minute, Sindelar collected a pass just outside the box, dribbled between and around three defenders, and tapped a shot into the lower right corner of the net. For added style, Sindelar notched another goal just one minute later off a pass from Duke.

Waterford moves on to play Millard in the semifinals. Dolbin intends to be prepared this time against the second-ranked Eagles.

"We're expecting a team similar to this one in terms of desire, and sort of height and physical presence," he said. "We're expecting one a little bit better skilled, just due to the number of goals they've scored. I think we'll have to play better than we did today. But it's on turf, which is a new dimension that favors us."