TACOMA — Rosie Zadra scored the lone goal for the North Kitsap Vikings but a taller, more-focused team from Olympia put three goals on the board to knock NK out of the playoffs.

“The loss was a combination of things,” said Vikings Head Coach Teri Ishihara. “The other team was a lot more physical and pushed us off the ball a lot more. We just didn’t get to their level.”

Ishihara said many of the players had trouble due to a recent student death of a local student.

Zadra’s goal for North Kitsap came unassisted, after she was fouled by an Olympia player who kicked her mid-section.

Two of Olympia’s goals came from opportunities created when the Vikings were unable to clear the ball out of their own zone.

“(Olympia) likes to play the ball in the air and they’re just taller,” Ishihara said. “They were able to get to a lot of the higher balls.”

The other Olympia goal came on a free kick.

The loss means the end of two NK players’ soccer careers: mid-fielder/forward Zadra and defender Lisa Gilbert. Both have played three years on varsity.

“(Gilbert) taught players to respect each other and taught them team values,” Ishihara said. “She displayed her leadership on and off the field.”

The team will also miss Zadra, the lone goal-scorer in their final game of the season.

“(Zadra) has shown her team the importance of working hard in the game,” Ishihara said.

The team struggled in the second half of the season due in large part to offensive star Megan Hyte’s absence. Hyte has been out with an injured knee for six games. When she did take the field, Hyte was only able to play at about 70 percent her ability, Ishihara said.

“She’s a fantastic player, really fast and really quick,” Ishihara said. “She’s a scoring machine when she plays. But when she’s not in, it definitely hurts us offensively.”

Hyte and other players on the team also play for club teams during the fall. Hyte is playing with the Puyallup-based FC Royals.