Defrees’ domination leads Baker

Senior Dallas Defrees scores four goals as Baker beats Mac-Hi and keeps its unbeaten record intact

The wind wreaked havoc on Baker’s girls soccer match Thursday, but the real force of nature was Dallas Defrees.

The Baker senior scored four goals, all in the first half, as the Bulldogs beat Mac-Hi 5-1 on the gust-swept pitch at the Sports Complex.

Baker improved its record to 9-0-1.

“Dallas just did a fabulous job,” Baker Coach DeeDee Clarke said.

The Bulldogs prefer on blustery days to have the wind at their back in the second half rather than the first, Clarke said.

But Mac-Hi won the pregame coin toss Thursday, and the Pioneers chose to play with the wind in the first half.

And that’s no minor matter at the Sports Complex. The field is oriented north-south, and there are no buildings, trees or other impediments to blunt the force of the north wind that gusted in the 20- mph to 30-mph range Thursday.

“I told the girls, you have got to build the score up in the first half because it’s going to be tough in the second half,” Clarke said. “They went out and did it.”

Defrees scored the first goal on a crossing pass from Callie Baxter.

Robbie Langrell assisted on Defrees’ second goal, and Baxter got another assist on Defrees’ third score.

Defrees did the work herself on her fourth goal, beating the Mac-Hi goalie who strayed too far from the net while trying to steal the ball.

Ashley Shively scored Baker’s fifth and final goal, also in the first half, on a free kick from about 30 yards.

“The ball just went through every defender and the goalie,” Clarke said.

Baker’s first-half offense was phenomenal, Clarke said — the Bulldogs scored five goals on 18 shots, a 28-percent success rate.

“Our average is 10 to 12 percent,” Clarke said.

Going against the wind in the second half, Baker managed just five shots on goal.

But with a comfortable lead, and with keeper Kristen Hoopes stopping 12 Mac-Hi shots, the Bulldogs didn’t need any more goals.

“The girls continued to be aggressive throughout the game,” Clarke said. “They don’t let up, no matter what the score is.”

Baker travels to Umatilla on Saturday and then returns to the Sports Complex for a key game Thursday against Ontario. That’s also Baker’s homecoming.

The Bulldogs also won the JV match Thursday, 4-1.

Marissa Ermovick scored Baker’s first goal on an assist from Abby Baxter. Samantha Overton scored Baker’s three other goals.