TACOMA — If there was one thing the Seton Catholic girls soccer team took away from its first Class 1A state final four game, it’s this — the Cougars are very close to better outcomes. No. 2 seed Seton Catholic suffered a 1-0 loss to No. 3 Bellevue Christian in the 1A state semifinals on Friday at Mount Tahoma High School, snapping an undefeated season for the Trico League and District 4 champs. With wind gusts topping 30 miles per hour, goal-scoring opportunities were few and far between for both teams until the 50-minute mark when Bellevue Christian’s Lila Naeseth put through a close-range shot from an Emily Eggers cross. The one-goal lead stood, as the Cougars were unable to get a shot on goal for the rest of the half. But in the Cougars’ defeat, the new kids on the block proved they can hang with a perennial state final four program like Bellevue Christian.

“Now we see what we need to do to go further,” Seton Catholic head coach Antonio Buckley said. “It taught us that we’re that close. We’re way ahead of schedule.” Senior captain Kaia Lauder agreed. Along with fellow seniors Jessica Barrett and Hailey Hammerstrom, the three began their high school careers in 2021 when the Cougars finished 9-10-1. They’ve improved that mark in each of the three years to follow. There’s a sense of optimism this year marks the first of multiple trips to the state final four in the future. “We’ve come a long way since our freshmen year,” Lauder said. “We’ve just really watched this program grow. Under Antonio’s leadership, it means so much to see this program actually go somewhere and not be the joke of the school anymore.

“It’s taken a full 180, the mentality shift has been insane. Over the years we want it so bad. Everybody shows up to practice every day willing to work and put in the effort, whether they’re on the bench or they play (80) minutes. The team community is so strong that it’s such a positive place to grow. This is my favorite team to play on, and that’s saying something because I’ve been on a few teams.” Seton Catholic’s penchant for scoring goals early was put to the test during a scoreless first half Friday against a solid Vikings back line and goalkeeper Abbie Nienaber. Aside from CJ Moore’s shot attempt in the first half while drawing contact against Bellevue Christian’s Charlotte Aitken, the Cougars were otherwise held without a shot. “Throughout the season we’ve scored pretty quickly, so it kind of did (put) a little bit of pressure on us just because we’re used to that,” Moore said. The Cougars will face No. 4 Cashmere in the third-place game at 10 a.m. Saturday. “I think the lesson we’re taking away from this is, yes, it’s going to be tough, but at this point in the season the margin for error is really small,” Buckley said. “So, when we do get back here, hopefully we can learn those lessons, we can be locked in more and do things a little bit better.”

The Cougars will also have an extra incentive to send off their three seniors, Lauder, Barrett and Hammerstrom, with a season-ending win. “Put it all out there,” Lauder said of the team’s mindset. “It’s my last game, last time I get to play, last time I get to put a Seton jersey on. I think everyone on the team is willing to play for us. We’re ready to put it all out there and get that third-place (trophy).”