Umatilla girls soccer edges Salem Academy, hosts quarterfinal match Saturday
By Griffin Beach on Friday, November 6th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
UMATILLA – The Umatilla High School girls soccer team kept its postseason run alive with a 1-0 victory over Salem Academy on Wednesday.
The Lady Viks are putting together another dominant campaign after falling in the state quarterfinals last year. Umatilla’s only defeat this fall came against Riverside in the second game of the season. The team has surrendered just three goals overall, posting 14 shutouts in 16 contests.
“The entire team this year gets along really well,” head coach Edgar Navarrete said.. “They’re very well connected with each other, they trust each other a lot more then they have in the past couple of years.”
Umatilla entered the Class 3A/2A/1A playoffs as the No. 5 seed, earning the right to host both Wednesday’s second-round contest and Saturday’s quarterfinal match against Sisters. Navarrete said practice this week will focus on preparing for tight postseason play.
“Definitely going to be working a little bit more on penalty kicks just because of how close [the Salem Academy] game was,” Nevarette said. “We thought it might have gone into overtime and then from there possibly to penalty shootout.”
If Umatilla wins Saturday and Creswell upsets top-seeded Catlin Gabel, the Lady Viks would host a semifinal match Tuesday.
“They’re a little disappointed that they don’t get to travel like they did last year,” Navarette said. “But it is very special to be able to host.”
Saturday’s game is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Columbia Vista Intermediate School in Umatilla.
After the Sisters-Umatilla game concludes, regional soccer attention shifts west to Dayton, where the Riverside High School boys will play a quarterfinal match at 5 p.m.
Umatilla girls soccer team, photo by coach Brittany Day.
