The Hermiston High School girls soccer team showed why they deserved a home playoff game.

The Bulldogs controlled the ball and the score in their OSAA 5A play-in game against Silverton at Armand Larive Middle School. The Dawgs easily dispatched the Foxes 3-0, and will advance to the round of 16 next week.

Hermiston (9-4-2) was able top maximize their goal-scoring opportunities, and gave the Foxes (8-6) only small windows for scoring chances.

(The defense is) the backbone of our team, and when they can play together well be alright,?Hermiston coach Danielle MacBride said.

The Bulldogs were put on a relentless attack, scarcely letting the Foxes get the ball out of their own zone, especially in the first half.

The Bulldogs struck first in the 12th minute, with Maggie Coleman busting out in front of the defense, testing the limits of how close to the out-of-bounds line she could get. As Silverton goalie Sheyenne Brusven was drawn out Coleman rocketed a ball head-high into the left side of the net.

In the 17th minute, Mikaela Rodriguez lobbed a ball into the box, which was fielded by Lolo Jansson, who shot the ball wide, it looked the Dawgs missed their chance of getting a comfortable two-goal lead.

But Jansson wouldnt let the favor go unreturned. Later in the 17th minute, Jansson got a ball in front of Rodriguez, who slid at the ball at the same time as Brusven and put it in the back of the net.?Although she avoided a nasty collision, Rodriguez admitted she was kicked in the knee as the two went for the ball.

I wasnt sure if I was going to make the ball because it was running fast, because on this field it goes pretty fast, so I dont know I kind of just went for it and I saw the keeper coming out, so I thought if I got low and hit it before she did it was bound to go somewhere,?Rodriguez said.

Rodriguezs goal put the Dawgs up 2-0 within the first 20 minutes, which is the lead they would take into half.

The Dawgs showed the Foxes that they werent letting up out of the gate in the second half, as in the 43rd minute Jansson fielded a goal kick and launched it right back, hitting the top crossbar and bouncing down into the goal. The Foxes were in too deep to a team that was giving no breathing room and had too many options offensively, and couldnt get on the scoreboard in the game.

People that want it most are going to score, and you could tell a lot of kids wanted it today,?MacBride said.

For MacBride, the win marks her first in the playoffs as a head coach.

 As a player you dont really think about the nerves,?MacBride said. You just go out and do it, but as a coach you sit all day thinking about it, and you get here and Im like wow, there’s really nothing I can do.

The Bulldogs will now have to go on the road for their next game. As the pool of teams gets narrower and tougher, the Bulldogs will have to look as good as they did on Friday, and even better. Our games got us this far, and our games going to keep us going,?MacBride said.