The Liberty Bell High School girls’ soccer squad took an early road trip over the North Cross to begin their 2026 campaign against a traditionally strong La Conner program on Friday, followed by a trip up to the border and a date with the class 1A Blaine Borderites on Saturday. The girls split their weekend, winning 5-1 at La Conner and dropping a tough 2-0 decision at Blaine.
Both programs qualified for their respective state tournaments in 2025 and like Liberty Bell bowed out in the first round, La Conner losing to semi-finalist Cle Elum-Roslyn and Blaine, like the Mountain Lions, lost their state game to the eventual champion, Cedar Park Christian.
Liberty Bell 5, at La Conner 1
It didn’t take freshman Mabel Grayum very long to notch the first goal of her high school career, putting the ball into the net in the first minute of the first period of the first match of the season at La Conner. Junior Elaine Walker followed up with the Mountain Lions’ second goal off an assist by Anja Merkens just two minutes later to give the visitors a 2-0 advantage before three minutes had ticked off the clock.
Liberty Bell’s third tally came off the foot of Adelina Humling at the 26-minute mark. Walker provided an assist on the play as the Lions ran their lead out to 3-0. Cassidy Pattinson struck the net in the final minute of the first half, sending the teams to the halftime break with the score 4-0 in favor of the Mountain Lions.
The two teams traded goals in the second half, the Braves getting on the board one minute into the second half and Pattinson converting a pass from Walker into her second goal and the final score of the match in the 53rd minute of the 80-minute contest.
Liberty Bell dominated the possession game, charting 15 shots on goal to La Conner’s two shots. Starting goalkeeper, freshman Caleigh Buzzard, stopped the only Braves’ shot in the first half as the defense kept the La Conner offense away from the goal for much of the game, a strategy coach Kelly Grayum spoke to in a pre-season interview.
“The Lions came out fast and furious,” said Grayum via email, “and La Conner had no answers for the tempo and work rate our girls brought. Pattinson scoring two goals in her debut game, and the three goals for our freshmen strikers were key. Walker’s two assists one goal were instrumental.”
Overall, it was a contest where all 22 players got on the field, according to Grayum, playing to another one of his ambitions for the early season.
At Blaine 2, Liberty Bell 0
Taking on their second 2025 state tournament participant, this time from the 1A classification, proved the challenge coach Grayum expected. Despite a tough and gritty defensive effort by the visiting Mountain Lions, Blaine’s experience ended up prevailing in a 2-0 match.
“Weirdly,” reported Grayum, “Saturday was more impressive.” He described the defensive effort as “heroic team defending.”
“They were a very good 1A team, full of talented seniors,” Grayum said. “Our young team had little to no experience on the artificial turf at the beautiful facility in Blaine. Nonetheless, the girls battled all the way through.”
Grayum singled out the Lions’ back line defenders for their play, including Clara Ramsey-George, who finally received the good-to-go from her orthopedic doctor last week.
“Her return is a big boost for this team,” said Grayum. She had been sidelined early by an arm injury sustained wrestling shortly after her state championship at the 2026 WIAA Mat Classic.
Also key in that backline defense were junior Wylie Smith, senior rookie Taylor Hover and Ally Hovee, joined by midfielder Anja Merkens. The Mountain Lions kept the Borderites off the scoreboard for the entire first half and for the first 20 minutes of the second half.
Freshman goalkeeper Caleigh Buzzard provided yeoman duty, stopping 15 Blaine shots on goal, while the Mountain Lions were kept away from the goal by an aggressive and talented defensive unit.
Perhaps the Mountain Lions’ best opportunity came moments before the Blaine tally, as Zahra Somerville-Borowski broke free for a one-on-one chance that was stifled by a charging Blaine goaltender.
The Mountain Lions traveled to Quincy on Tuesday to take on the 2A Jackrabbits in a 6 p.m. game. Your first chance to catch the girls is next Tuesday, Sept. 15, when they open Central Washington 2B League play hosting the Tonasket Tigers, kickoff at 4:30 p.m. at Mountain Lion Stadium.
