Three months ago, Jamie Brock was certain that this would be a rebuilding year for girls soccer at Summit High.

The bulk of the Storm’s offense in recent years had graduated after last season’s loss in the Class 5A semifinals. This year’s group, Brock recalls, was not as technically gifted as past Summit squads. In fact, from the season’s outset, the Storm went back to the basics in practices, working more on first touches and ball-control skills than on the more tactical aspects of the game.

Yet during Summit’s season opener, a 3-0 nonconference win at North Medford on Aug. 26, Brock realized that this year — a rebuilding year — could feature a stronger Storm team than anticipated.

Now, as it prepares for Saturday’s 5A state championship match against No. 1-seeded North Eugene at Hillsboro Stadium, No. 2 Summit (15-2 overall) has proved that it is once again the team to beat in the race for the state title.

“The amount of joy that I see in this group is pretty awesome,” says Brock, now in her 13th season as the Storm coach.

“I would say it’s more than what I’ve seen in previous groups. I’d say they’re excited just to create that opportunity for themselves.”

Since 2010, Summit has been a mainstay on the big stage. The Storm have played in five state championship matches, winning all five, including their last in 2015. While Summit has not been nearly as potent offensively (the team’s 54 goals this season are 39 fewer than last season’s 93), the Storm boast a stalwart defense — as evidenced by a string of seven straight shutouts heading into Saturday’s match — and championship experience.

Seven players on this season’s squad played in the Storm’s state championship win two years ago, including three who started, and several of them have accepted position changes to help lead Summit back to the state final.

Maggi McElrath, for example, has moved from forward to midfielder, while Michaela Gorman transitioned from midfielder to defense. Along with Parker Campbell, Quin Fraley, Gabbie Brocker, Julia Hager and Piper Flannery, McElrath and Gorman provide Summit with championship savvy — and they have already begun prepping their younger teammates.

While the Storm have appeared in five of the past seven 5A state championship games, North Eugene (15-1) is making its finals debut.

Champions of the Midwestern League, the Highlanders are third in 5A this season with 58 goals scored while allowing just seven, which ranks second in the classification. North Eugene has not lost since its season opener, a 3-0 setback at Crescent Valley, which Summit defeated 2-0 in Tuesday’s semifinals. The Highlanders head into the championship final riding a 15-game winning streak, including Tuesday’s 2-1 home win over No. 4 Sandy.

“Because it’s uncharted territory, they were super excited but a little bit numb,” North Eugene coach Brandy Wormdahl says of her players’ reactions to the semifinal win. “You talk about things and you kind of dream about them and you set goals, and to have it play out the way it has, it’s just been pretty overwhelming for them.”

North Eugene boasts speed with midfielders Jordan Wormdahl and Sophie Cleland, and it has a tendency to push the pace. Yet the Highlanders, Brandy Wormdahl says, cannot be “pigeonholed” into one style of play, other than “these kids just know how to win.”

“The one thing I’m impressed about this group is no matter how people have come at us, we’ve figured out a way to adjust,” says the 22nd-year North Eugene coach. “We’ve been in games where teams want to slow it down and possess and wait for things to open up. The kids can play that style. We’ve had teams that have pressed us and kind of crammed it down our throat, and we’ve been able to adjust and figure out ways to win.”

Wormdahl says that while the Highlanders have never before played in the championship, that could be an advantage for the top seed in 5A.

“It helps in the fact that I don’t think they’re going to put a huge amount of pressure on themselves to win,” Wormdahl says. “I think they’re going to relax and play their game and play like they have nothing to lose.”

Summit, on the other hand, is a program brimming with success. And despite heading into the 2017 season with a rebuilding mindset, the Storm boast depth at each position, and that could carry Summit to its sixth state title.

“One thing that’s played in our strength, we’re good all around the field,” Brock says. “We were excellent in pockets over the past few years and good in the other places, but all these girls know, ‘Hey, we’re all pulling our weight.’ And clearly it’s worked out.

“They put that lofty goal out there (to reach the state final) but they realized they had to do quite a bit of work to get there. Obviously it’s paid off.”

Last year’s semifinal loss has stuck with Michaela Gorman — and her Summit teammates — throughout this season. It has been the Storm junior’s motivation during Summit’s run to an Intermountain Conference championship and Tuesday’s Class 5A girls soccer state semifinal match against Crescent Valley.

“We stopped short last year, and that was one of the worst feelings you could ever feel,” Gorman explained. “This year, we didn’t want to feel that feeling again. Even though we’re a completely different team, part of us was thinking about last year and how we could fix that and move on to finals.”

Despite playing against a Raiders team which heading into the semifinals had allowed the fewest goals in 5A this season, the No. 2-seeded Storm displayed sheer dominance Tuesday. And a year after falling just shy of the state final, Summit redeemed itself by ousting No. 3 Crescent Valley 2-0 to advance to the program’s sixth state championship game since 2010.

The Storm advanced to play in the championship final Saturday at Hillsboro Stadium, where they will take on No. 1 North Eugene, a 2-1 winner over No. 4 Sandy in Tuesday’s other semifinal.

“It’s unbelievable,” gushed Gorman. “I can’t even express how happy I am right now.”

On the same field and with the same playoff seeding as last year, the Storm were overpowering against the Raiders from Corvallis. Heading into the semifinal, Crescent Valley, champion of the Mid-Willamette Conference, had allowed just four goals all season, and no more than one in a single game. Yet Summit (15-2 overall) was not intimidated, constantly challenging the Raiders’ defense — beginning with the opening kickoff.

Within the first 10 seconds Summit earned a corner kick, but the Storm could not cash in as Maggi McElrath’s header sailed high. In the third minute, Gabbie Brocker’s shot was saved, and two minutes later a blast by Caroline Schutz missed just left of the mark. The Storm continued to press, and in the 20th minute, they finally struck.

Molly Day intercepted a short goal kick and raced the other way with a Crescent Valley defender on her right hip for 15 yards. From the left side of the box, though, Day punched a shot with the outside of her right foot that sent the ball across the face of Crescent Valley goalkeeper Peyton Dale and into the right side of the goal for a 1-0 Storm lead.

Summit kept its foot on the accelerator. And in the 26th minute, the Storm extended their lead to 2-0 as Gorman sprinted into the box to head in a score off a Haley Tobiason corner kick. Summit took its two-goal lead into halftime, outshooting Crescent Valley 17-1 in the opening 40 minutes, including a 10-0 advantage in shots on goal.

“I think any team is beatable, no matter what their stats are,” Gorman said. “It’s all about the heart of the team that wants to win. Any team is breakable no matter what their stats are. We had the right intentions, and we really challenged them.”

The Raiders (14-1-1) threatened early in the second half, as Nicole Moore sent a laser shot toward the right side of the goal, but Summit keeper Capra Williams made a diving stop. Williams made another save in the 60th minute, Crescent Valley’s last real scoring opportunity, as the Storm recorded their seventh straight shutout and 13th overall on the season.

“We’ve been on that momentum and that path,” said Summit coach Jamie Brock. “We’ve had a couple down games. But I think they clearly got motivated. They knew what they were expected to do this game, and (Crescent Valley) is clearly a respectable team. … There was definitely some heart being played out there today. Girls were tired, and it’s one of those games where it’s like, ‘Don’t give up.’ And they didn’t; they put it all together.”

Before Tuesday’s match, Crescent Valley led all of 5A with 73 goals scored, averaging nearly five per game. But the Raiders were blanked for the first time since last season’s semifinals, when they lost 2-0 to eventual champion La Salle.

Now it will be Summit looking to repeat history, as it prepares to take on No. 1 North Eugene on Saturday. It will be the Storm’s sixth appearance in the state final, and they look to remain undefeated in championship games.

“From where we were at the beginning of the season to where we are now,” said Brock, now in her 13th season at the Summit helm, “as a whole, I’ve not seen a group progress like this and just peak like this.”

Gabbie Brocker scored two goals, and Summit earned a spot in the Class 5A girls soccer state semifinals with a 4-0 home win over No. 7 Corvallis on Saturday.

The No. 2 Storm (14-2) took the lead in the eighth minute when Haley Tobiason took a corner kick and Maggi McElrath headed the ball into the net. In the 31st minute, Brocker scored her first goal off a cross by Piper Flannery to put Summit ahead 2-0 heading into halftime.

Brocker also scored the next goal, this time after Alexandra Walker pushed the ball down the field to Molly Day, who then crossed it to Brocker.

With three minutes left in the game, Quin Fraley made a huge throw-in from the sideline that bounced over the Corvallis keeper, and Molly Day stepped in to put the ball in the back of the net.

Summit coach Jamie Brock said Capra Williams played well in goal, even making a one-handed save on Aja Bumpus’ shot to keep the Spartans off the scoreboard and give Summit its sixth straight shutout and 12th this season.

The Storm (14-2) will host No. 3 Crescent Valley (14-0-1) in a state semifinal match Tuesday.

“They’ve only let in four goals all season, so they have some pretty good players in the back (of the field),” Brock said of the Raiders, who beat Ridgeview 2-0 Friday in the quarterfinals.

Molly Day, Gabbie Brocker each score twice to lift No. 4 Summit past No. 3 Ridgeview

Summit and Ridgeview entered Tuesday night’s Intermountain Conference match tied atop the Intermountain Conference standings, but it was the Class 5A No. 4-ranked Storm who gained pole position in the race for the IMC championship.

Molly Day and Gabbie Brocker each scored twice for Summit, which sprinted past the No. 3 Ravens for a 6-0 girls soccer home win. Now alone atop the conference standings, the Storm (6-1 IMC, 10-2 overall) could win the conference title outright with a win or a draw at Mountain View next Tuesday.

Brocker scored the first night’s goal, in the 28th minute, off an assist from Maggi McElrath. Five minutes later, McElrath lit up the scoreboard with a goal off of a corner kick. With two seconds remaining on the first half, Day scored off an assist from Haley Tobiason to give Summit a 3-0 lead going into the break.

Brocker opened the second half with a goal in the 46th minute off an assist from Parker Campbell. Piper Flannery extended the Storm lead to 5-0 after scoring off a pass from Day, and Day capped the scoring with a goal in the match’s final minute. Bree Stroud was credited with the assist for Summit.

“We’re rising up to the expectation” that comes with the Summit name, Storm coach Jamie Brock said. Summit won four straight state titles from 2012 to 2015. “We clearly wanted to win outright, and we’re playing at our best. That’s one of the best performances we’ve put together.”

Brock said that many members of the team have found their stride in new roles, included Day, who is listed as a defender on the roster but has moved forward into more of an offensive role.

“We have a ton of potential, so in these last couple games, we’re settling in,” Brock said. “We’re starting to figure it out. We’re starting to play our best soccer going into the playoffs.”

The Ravens fall to 5-2 in the IMC and 10-2 overall. Currently in second place, Ridgeview closes the regular season with a match at crosstown rival Redmond on Thursday.

Alexandra Walker scored two goals, Gabbie Brocker and Molly Day each had a goal and an assist, and host Summit rolled to a 6-0 nonconference girls soccer victory Friday over Putnam.

The win was the sixth in a row for the Class 5A No. 4-ranked Storm (9-2 overall), and the shutout was their fifth in their past six games.

Caroline Schutz put Summit up just two minutes into the match. Walker made it 2-0 with a throw-in assist from Quin Fraley, and still in the first half, Brocker scored for a 3-0 Storm lead.

Walker, Day and Julia Hager all scored in the second half for Summit, and Haley Tobiason and Maggi McElrath had assists.

The Storm are at home again Tuesday to take on Ridgeview in a battle of Intermountain Conference co-leaders.

As the seconds ticked away on Summit’s 2-0 win over Bend High on Tuesday, the Storm bench became antsy. Players on the sideline ran in place, as if revving their engines, while the on-field Storm began hopping eagerly. When the clock struck zero, Summit players casually jogged toward each other to celebrate the Intermountain Conference girls soccer victory.

After a postgame huddle, though, the excitement was uncorked, as players leaped into each other’s arms and danced to the music blaring over the loudspeakers at Summit High.

“I think honestly, it’s just such a relief,” said Storm senior defender Quin Fraley. “We knew we could beat this team, and we needed to play our game. That’s the one thing we needed to do. We’ve been working on it for so long. I think we played today the way that we’ve been trying to play all season.”

With Fraley, Shea Campbell and Haley Tobiason monitoring the back line for Summit — and goalkeeper Capra Williams recording five saves in a fourth straight shutout — the Class 5A No. 8-ranked Storm were aggressive up front, constantly pressuring the Bend defense. Still, the No. 1 Lava Bears would not cave as keeper Cassidy Flammang and her help defense continued to turn away Summit’s attacks.

In the 27th minute, however, the Storm’s persistence paid off. Off a Bend turnover, Summit’s Maggi McElrath poked a pass to a streaking Gabbie Brocker, who sprinted past a pair of Lava Bears defenders to get free. Brocker then sent a slow-rolling shot past Flammang and into the right side of the net to give Summit (4-1 IMC, 7-2 overall) a 1-0 lead.

Late in the second half, the Lava Bears (3-2, 6-2-1) had two golden opportunities to pull even. Each time, though, they were stonewalled. In the 70th minute, Kylee Roath’s header off a high-arching pass sailed just left of the Summit goal, and five minutes later, a blast by Jordan Stoner was knocked away by Williams and cleared by the Storm defense.

“Bend’s super high-pressure,” said Summit coach Jamie Brock. “It was nearly man-to-man (coverage) that whole game. While those girls are strong, it’s like, ‘How long can your (defense) hold?’ They played amazing, to keep that composure under that much pressure all game long … they played amazing. A great game.”

Alexandra Walker provided some insurance for the Storm in the 76th minute, as she tore after a through ball from McElrath and beat the keeper to secure the Storm’s fourth straight win while snapping Bend’s two-game winning streak against Summit. Yet even with the Storm’s brief slide versus the Lava Bears, even with a matchup of two 5A top-10 teams, Fraley assured that Summit was not affected by the hype surrounding Tuesday’s match.

“The crosstown rivalry is definitely in the back of your head when you don’t want it to be,” Fraley said. “But if you just keep taking deep breaths and remind yourself that you’re just here to play soccer and have fun, you can accomplish what you want.”

Though Jenna Cornett usually splits time in goal for Bend, she was injured Tuesday. Flammang stepped in, however, and finished with six saves against a tenacious Storm attack.

“She’s a natural keeper,” Bend coach Gavin Meyers said. “And she’s a big part of our team and a huge leader for our team. We’ve had the fortune of having two really good keepers, and unfortunately one of them is injured tonight. So Cassidy stepped up and did awesome.

“We have a lot of things to build on. Our opportunities were there and our chances. And I think we’re really close to unlocking the secret and really unleashing.”

Williams, Summit’s keeper, finished with five saves to not only help the Storm post their sixth shutout of the season but also keep them in a first-place tie with Ridgeview atop the IMC standings with three conference matches remaining.

“These last few games that we’ve played, these girls have noticed where they can be and what their potential is,” Brock said. “This was kind of a testament to how hard they worked and how much they decided that we’re going to rise to our self-expectations and our program expectations.”

— Reporter: 541-383-0307, glucas@bendbulletin.com