By Grant Clark
A year ago, when Montesano High School opened its girls soccer season, Haylee Perkinson got the start at goalkeeper.
An unproven freshman who had played plenty of soccer before, but never at the high school level, Perkinson proceeded to shutout Onalaska in her high school debut, helping the Bulldogs to a 3-0 victory. She followed that triumph by blanking Overlake, 1-0, before stonewalling Northwest, 3-0.
It was just the beginning as Perkinson opened her high school campaign with six consecutive shutouts before Hoquiam finally registered a goal in Montesano’s seventh match last season. The scoreless streak was snapped, but it would be a while before the team’s winning streak would come to an end.
Perkinson was a freshman in grade only. In terms of talent, few matched her output.
Part brick wall, part athletic daredevil always willing to sacrifice her body to make the difficult save, Perkinson has become the platinum standard for goaltending in the Evergreen 1A/2A league – and she hasn’t even completed her sophomore year.
Interestingly, Perkinson, who started playing at the age of 9, never concerned herself with the defensive side of things during her first four years of playing the sport. She initially was a striker – a position that usually serves as a team’s top scoring threat.
It was just a few years ago that Perkinson made to transition to goalie. It turned out to be a smart move and one that the Montesano program has greatly benefited from.
“I was told that if I wanted to have a chance to make varsity my freshman year I should look at becoming a goalie,” Perkinson said.
The role has been a natural fit for Perkinson.
“The thing I like best is the adrenaline rush,” Perkinson said. “There’s definitely pressure out there, but that rush you get when you make a big save feels incredible.”
During the Bulldogs run towards the 1A/2A Evergreen championship last year, Perkinson, despite her freshman status, spearheaded a defensive effort that allowed just nine total goals over 19 games and finished with a gaudy 13 shutouts.
She was even stouter during Montesano’s conference matches, surrendering a mere four goals during the Bulldogs’ 14-0 league record.
It’s been more of the same this year for Perkinson and the Bulldogs defense.
After a slow start, which saw Montesano open the season with a 2-2 record, the Bulldogs reeled off 10 straight victories to secure yet another league crown. During the winning streak, the squad outscored its opponents a combined 61-6 with five shutouts.
“Our back four really make my job easy,” said Perkinson, a second-team all-league selection as a freshman in 2014. “We really communicate well.”
Last year, the Bulldogs were a perfect 17-0 and eyeing a deep run in the state playoffs before seeing their season end with back-to-back losses, including a 4-0 defeat to King’s in the opening round of the Class 1A state tournament.
“We were very young last season,” said Perkinson, who was also a state placer in power lifting last year. “I think we could have gone farther, but it ended up being a learning experience for us.”
A year wiser, the Bulldogs are no longer protecting an undefeated season like they were last year at this time. The team has dropped three matches this year, including a pair of early-season non-league affairs and a 1-0 loss to Aberdeen on October 24 in a match which the Bobcats held a 7-6 shootout advantage over Montesano, but according to Perkinson, the Bulldogs are in a better position this season in regards to team chemistry.
Another major change from last season is the improvement on the academic side of things for Perkinson.
“She had a few hiccups with her grades last year,” said Jason Perkinson, Haylee’s father. “We talked about if she had aspirations of playing at the next level she would need to focus on her grades. She really took that to heart. It’s been a big turnaround. Since then she’s had As and Bs in everything.”
With both her grades and play zeroed in, Perkinson has her sights fully set on prolonging the Bulldogs season by securing the team’s 13th state playoff berth since 2000.
Montesano will open postseason play in the 1A Southwest District 4 tournament at home on November 5 when the Bulldogs host the winner of the first-round match-up between the Evergreen’s No. 3 seed and the second-place team out of the Trico. The top three teams out of the district advance to the state tournament, which begins November 9.
