9/22/2026
Aberdeen 2, Toledo 1
(Toledo, WA) A very difficult non-league schedule continued for the Toledo Riverhawks on Tuesday night as they returned home for a third consecutive match against a foe from the Evergreen 2A Conference. Toledo entered a showdown with the Aberdeen Bobcats with a 2-1-1 record with their lone 2B opponent being Freeman who has played in the last two state championship matches. After a loss to Black Hills and a draw with Centralia, the Riverhawks would hope the third time would be the charm against the EvCo 2A.
Meanwhile the Aberdeen Bobcats were getting their final tune-up before they start league play on Thursday. A 3-3 record for the Bobcats did not tell the full story as they had won two of their last three matches and scored 11 total goals in those two wins. Aberdeen would hope to climb above .500 and gain momentum before starting a wide-open EvCo 2A season
1st Half
The opening 40 minutes of this match was completely dominated by the Toledo Riverhawks. They maintained possession of the ball for almost the entire first half with a dominance in time of possession. Kailea Lairson, Onica Chase, and Peyton Holter dominated the midfield and kept putting the ball into the Riverhawks attacking third. From their, Xtyn Norberg and Aspen Cooper ran the attack but they couldn’t quite breakdown the backline of Aberdeen. The defense of Nataly Barragan, Kendalynn Garman, and Madi Servellon would stand strong and keep shots off frame against keeper Xela Kowoosh. In the 12th minute, Kailea Lairson would win a ball and fired a tough shot in a tight angle that would find the back of the net and put Toledo in front 1-0.
Toledo’s backline did have to weather a bit of a storm for a 10-minute stretch as Aberdeen’s attack began to pick up. Shay Dunlap led that attack with Kennedy Kolodzie and Sawyer Shoemaker there to help out. Tehya Green led the Riverhawks defense with Zaya Norberg and Kora Askin dropping back as well. They limited Aberdeen to just one shot against Toledo keeper Ivana Cabrera in the opening half. Toledo’s defense was beyond midfield for most of the match to force the ball to stay in their attacking third. However, the Riverhawks couldn’t add on as a Kailea Lairson free kick bounced off the crossbar and kept the match 1-0 at halftime.
2nd Half
Things changed very quickly out of halftime. Aberdeen immediately put pressure on the Toledo back line and a shot from Nataly Barragan would just get across the line to tie the match in the 41st minute. Instead of letting off the gas, the Bobcats continued to press and it was Sawyer Shoemaker starting another run. She would get the ball to Shay Dunlap who fired a cross to the back post where Barragan was again there to knock it in. Just two minutes into the second half and Nataly Barragan had scored two goals to put Aberdeen in front 2-1.
The big difference in the second half was Aberdeen possessing the ball better and not allowing the backline of Toledo to push beyond midfield. They had to respect the counters coming from Aberdeen and that took away the drop pass from Toledo when they were on the attack. They had to continue to force the ball forward where the Bobcat defense was too physical and continued to knock the Riverhawks off the ball. Aspen Cooper tried to use her speed multiple times to weave through the defense, but the swarming Bobcats continued to deflect every attack. Xela Kowoosh was also very smart and read the game well when to come off her line and when to let her defense take control. Madi Servellon and Kendalynn Garman were fantastic for Aberdeen in the second half and did not allow too many great looks for Toledo. The two rapid goals were enough as Aberdeen earned the second half comeback win over Toledo, 2-1.
Chehalis Holiday Inn Express MVP of the Match
Our Chehalis Holiday Inn Express MVP of the Match went to Aberdeen senior Nataly Barragan. The senior brought Aberdeen back to life with two goals in the first two minutes of the second half. To go along with the brace, Barragan was outstanding defensively in the first half to limit the Toledo opportunities despite the Riverhawks dominating time of possession.
What’s Next
The win gets Aberdeen back above .500 with a 4-3 record to finish up non-league play. The Bobcats start Evergreen 2A play on Thursday when they visit the Tumwater Thunderbirds. Toledo falls to 2-2-1 on the season with a stacked non-league schedule. They will host 4A Battle Ground on Thursday at 6pm.
Watch the full game replay on the NFHS Network (subscription required)
West 42 Sports Postgame Show
Game Highlights
Lairson Gives Toledo the Lead
Aberdeen Equalizer to Start 2nd Half
Barragan Strikes Again
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