Ferris Earns Shot At Aaa Soccer Title

All right, Tommy Servine said, just try to do it again.

Kevin Smith couldn’t, so Ferris will play for the boys State AAA soccer title this afternoon.

Servine scored two late goals, then switched to a goalkeeper’s jersey and stopped four of five shootout attempts as Ferris (19-1) rallied over Bellarmine Prep 4-3 in an evening semifinal at Selah High School.

Ferris meets defending champion Eastlake (16-0) of Redmond at 2:30 p.m. East lake, which beat Mead in last year’s title match, blasted North Thurston 7-1 in the day’s first semifinal. No Greater Spokane League team has won the state title.

Smith, whose first-half goals gave the Lions (15-2-1) a 2-0 edge, went to the (shootout) penalty line with the match on the line. Ferris led 2-1 in the shootout, with its five attempts exhausted.

Smith’s first score of the day had been on a penalty kick when Servine, the starting keeper, pushed him down in the box.

“I did foul him,” Servine admitted, “but I’ve done that many times before and it was never called. I sort of deserved it.” Servine brushed past Smith before taking his place in the net for the telling shootout kick.

“I was trying to play some mind games with him,” Servine said.

On the earlier penalty-kick score, Servine guessed left and Smith kicked it to the junior’s right. Servine figured Smith might try the same spot in the shootout. Servine figured correctly.

“We were lucky Tommy was in a zone tonight,” said Ferris coach Robin Crain.

Ferris dominated play, as evidenced by a 3-to-1 ratio in shots on goal, but the Saxons too often showed off fancy dribbling without finishing off their plays. Ferris had at least four close scoring opportunities before the Lions had their first.

Smith’s first goal, at 35 minutes, seemed to stun the Saxons. The defense let up and allowed Smith to steam by on a breakaway 2 minutes later.

More Ferris frustration occurred through 20 minutes of the second half. The drought finally ended when Thomas Ghezzi passed to Ryan Reed for a breakaway punched into the left corner.

“When you get that many opportunities, eventually (the defense) is going to crack,” Crain said.

Crain, recalling an earlier 2-1 win over Kamiakin, then pulled Servine from goal and inserted Jonathan Myers. The move looked shaky at 61:25 when Jonathan Skeith deflected a goal off Myers.

But Servine’s no-holds-barred approach resulted in scores at 67:30 and 78:00.

On the first, Servine and freshman goalie Danny Waltman collided and went down in the box. Servine sprung up and found the net. On the second, Waltman made a rare mistake and hesitated on coming out on a loose ball that Servine reached first.

Servine hit the upright with a shot during the final moments of the second overtime.

Both teams missed their first two shootout chances. Billy Sleeth and Reed scored for Ferris, then Matt Pritchard, BP’s fourth kicker, scored high to Servine’s left. Waltman, pouncing to his right, blocked an Erick Blatt attempt that would have clinched Ferris’ win sooner.

“Maybe we’ll come out harder from the start (against Eastlake) and finish off what we’ve started,” Servine said.

, DataTimes