OLYMPIA, Wash. — Lucy Newlin’s second half goal was not enough to propel the visitors past the reigning USL W League Northwest Division Champions, as the West Seattle Rhodies suffered their first defeat of the season in a 2-1 loss at the hands of the Artesians last Sunday night.
The Rhodies (1-1-1) entered Saturday’s contest with plenty of momentum, having secured their first win in club history and second consecutive clean sheet the weekend before against Lane United, where Newlin and Kalea Eichenberger opened their scoring accounts for the year thanks to a pair of assists from Andrea Leyva.
The visitors started the game confidently, maintaining possession of the ball for long stretches in the first half while also keeping the reigning conference champions on the backfoot when out of possession. Despite their strong start, it was Olympia (2-0-1) who managed to find the breakthrough in the 31st minute, after Ginny Lackey found a gap in the Rhodies’ backline and delicately chipped her shot over the oncoming Madi Munguia in goal for her sixth goal of the season.
Things would quickly go from bad to worse for the Rhodies, as the Artesians scored their second of the night just two minutes later through Chelsea Wagner. Unfortunately for the Rhodies, Wagner’s goal resulted in a collision between the forward and Munguia in net, forcing the goalkeeper off with an untimely injury late in the first half.
The second half continued to be an evenly-matched contest, with the Rhodies pulling one back in the 53rd minute through Newlin, who scored her second of the season after slotting away a deflected shot following a corner from Peyton Chick. Despite their continued efforts, the Rhodies were unable to break down Olympia’s defense and find the equalizer, as they dropped points on the road for the first time this season.
It’s a quick turnaround for the Rhodies, who will be back in action on Wednesday, June 4th as they hit the road again, this time for a rematch against Lane United FC. Tickets and full match details can be found HERE.
