Prep soccer | 3A girls: Mercer Island defeats Glacier Peak 2-1 to reach semifinals

MERCER ISLAND — Throughout the season Mercer Island coach Adam Gervis has placed a special emphasis on set pieces, devoting up to 25 minutes per practice on designed plays near the goal.

On Saturday, the Islanders scored two early goals off re-starts and held on for a 2-1 victory over Glacier Peak (16-5-1, 7-2) in a Class 3A quarterfinal game at Mercer Island High School.

The Islanders (14-3-1) advance to the semifinals at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood on Friday, facing Camas, a 3-0 winner over Lakeside on Saturday night.

"We've scored a lot of goals [this season] on corners and free kicks so it really paid off," senior midfielder Mary Hill said.

In the 19th minute, Mercer Island senior midfielder Erin Bourguignon sent an in-swinger into the box that Grizzlies senior goalkeeper Nicole Giovine failed to clear. Islanders senior midfielder Rachel Pedreira braced for a collision with Giovine and sent a diving header past her.

Eight minutes later, the Islanders (14-3-1, 10-2) capitalized off another rebound as a corner kick from Pedreira bounced off a Grizzlies defender and found the foot of Hill. The left-footer took one touch to the left just outside the box and blasted it into the upper right corner of the goal.

Glacier Peak cut the lead to 2-1 on a header by junior midfielder Brooke Gilbert with 10:30 remaining. The Grizzlies had a chance to send the game into overtime with a minute left, but a head ball by sophomore defender Katie Hawkins landed wide.

Before the game Gervis scouted Gilbert, a member of the U.S. Under-17 Women's National Team, and instructed the Eastern Washington-bound Bourguignon to shadow her. He said the strategy paid off in the waning moments of the tight game.

"She [Gilbert] is a very fine player, but as the game went on she tried to hold the team [together] by herself." Gervis said. "I knew that Erin's work rate would wear her down eventually."

Mercer Island has never won a state title.

"If we focus and play our game I think we can do it," Pedreira said.