North Bend’s Caitlin McCullough kicks the ball high in the first half of Tuesday’s match against visiting Brookings-Harbor. World Photo by Lou Sennick.

NORTH BEND —For the first 15 minutes of a girls soccer match between North Bend and Brookings-Harbor at Vic Adams Field Tuesday night, Bruins coach Kristen Frank stood on the sideline and yelled at her team to shoot more.

When her players started taking her advice, things opened up for Brookings-Harbor en route to a 4-0 road victory that primed the team for a chance at clinching the Far West League championship with a home win today against South Umpqua. 

“This was one of our better games,” said Frank after the win. “It’s the first game where the girls came out ready to play in the first half. It was good preparation for the game (today).”

The Bulldogs meanwhile played hard but were largely stonewalled by the Bruins’ solid defense in the back.

“They were really physical,” said Bulldogs midfielder Amelia Liggett. “It was just boot ball across the middle, and our midfield was getting really tired.”

North Bend goalkeeper Anna Houghton gave up four goals, but that was a misleading number; the sophomore’s solid play, with 10 saves, was a big reason the score wasn’t worse for the Bulldogs, as the Bruins had 15 shots on goal. North Bend defender Sammie Clark also saved what was likely a goal on a shot from Ally Manley.

“Anna did a good job in goal,” said North Bend coach Dustin Hood. “I think Brookings is a well-disciplined team, they’re intense, focused and they communicated well. For the first 10 minutes, we came out and played with a lot of intensity. But we got flat for about 30 minutes in the first half.”

Brookings-Harbor took advantage, beginning in the 21st minute when Jillian McCool lofted a high, floating shot into the upper left corner of the goal from the right side of the penalty box to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead.

“I kind of had a feeling, like when you get a shot off and you know it’s going to go in,” said McCool of her goal.

Then in the 25th minute McCool gathered in the ball and sent it bouncing across the goal with Houghton off her line — she’d come out to try and clear the ball — and speedy teammate Kayla Hamm chased it down and tipped it into the goal to put Brookings-Harbor up 2-0.

“We were really on top of things tonight,” said Hamm, who said the team’s defensive line played particularly well Tuesday, a good sign with the playoffs looming. “We have a really strong defense. It’s just about wanting it more. We’re working really hard and I think we’re going to do well (in the playoffs).”

North Bend came out with a bit more fire to start the second half, putting more pressure on the Bruins in the midfield and stringing together some passes. Nicole Medford, who sat out most of the first half with an injury, returned at forward in the second half and gave the Bulldogs another threat up front.

“We played them tough in the second half,” said Hood.

The Bruins still found the net twice more, however, although their second-half goals weren’t nearly as pretty.

In the 73rd minute Ashley Juarez blasted a shot from 25 yards out that slipped through Houghton’s hands to put the score at 3-0, and then in the 78th minute Sonia Gonzalez put a foot on a bouncing ball off a corner kick to give the Bruins the 4-0 win.

Now Brookings-Harbor sits undefeated at 10-0-2 and has a chance to clinch the league title with a win over second-place, 9-1-2 South Umpqua today. Either way, the Bruins are looking forward to a long run in the playoffs this year.

“I think we have a really good chance to go further this year than we did last year,” said McCool of last season’s second-round exit at state. “We need to take it one game at a time, though.”

For the Bulldogs, this year’s 4-7-1 season so far also has been a huge step up, after the team endured a winless season in 2007.

“It’s been a major success,” said Wiggett. “I’m so proud of every single person on this team. Everybody’s improved 110 percent.”

North Bend can’t catch 7-4-1 Sutherlin for the fourth and final playoff spot this year, but the Bulldogs will try to finish out the season on a high note with home matches against Coquille Thursday and Sutherlin Tuesday.