Vela continues to find back of net for CV, notches two in win

Central Valley’s Jay Vela entered Friday night’s GSL boys soccer match with Shadle Park with seven goals in five games, including one late game-winner.

Two goals and another game-winner later, his Bears are atop the GSL.

Vela scored both CV goals in the second half, leading the Bears (5-1, 4-0 GSL) to a 2-1 home victory over Shadle Park (4-1, 3-1) in a battle of two of the league’s three unbeaten teams.

After Andy Largent put the Highlanders ahead in the 15th minute, CV went on the attack. Outshooting Shadle 17-5 for the match, the Bears took 10 shots at Highlanders goalkeeper Willie Northcott in the second half.

Vela tied the match in the 50th minute, when he took a pass up the middle from Zach Chesher and shot between two defenders. In the 74th, Vela brought CV goalkeeper Ryan Skay’s punt upfield and scored from 8 yards out.

The Bears share the GSL lead with Mt. Spokane (5-0, 4-0), which edged Rogers 1-0 on the road. Nick Reilly supplied the only scoring in the 57th minute. Goalkeeper Justin Erickson kept the match close for Rogers (1-4, 1-3) with 11 saves, shutting down Mt. Spokane’s leading scorer, Keith Kirsch, on several opportunities.

Cheney (6-1, 3-1) defeated University (3-2, 2-2) for the first time since joining the GSL in 2003, winning 1-0 at home. Jamie Rebuelta took a 30-yard crossing pass from Devin Merrill and scored in the 70th minute. … Ben Funkhouser scored on a header in the 34th minute and a 35-yard kick in the 57th to lead East Valley (3-1, 3-1) past West Valley (2-3, 1-3) 5-1. Ryan Orwick and Brad Burger each added a goal and an assist for the Knights. … The Yonago brothers stepped up for Ferris (3-1, 3-1) in the second half, scoring three goals after intermission to defeat Lewis and Clark (0-4, 0-4) 4-1 at Hart Field. Kyle Yonago put Ferris ahead in the 49th minute, and Taylor Yonago added two goals in the final 9 minutes to put the match away. Tom Giardino added two assists for the Saxons. … Max Mean scored a hat trick for Gonzaga Prep (2-2, 2-2), which defeated North Central (0-6, 0-4) 5-2 at home. Mean’s final two goals came in the 58th and 59th minutes. Greg Hilbert also scored and had an assist for the Bullpups. … Kyle Wilson and Michael Hoover scored in the fifth and sixth minutes, propelling Mead to a 3-0 win at Clarkston. The Panthers (2-3, 2-2) outshot the Bantams (0-6, 0-4) 22-3, and goalkeeper Jason Gass only needed one save for the shutout.

Softball

Michelle Tully had 10 strikeouts, allowed three hits and hit two singles to lead Gonzaga Prep to a 6-3 victory at Mead. The Bullpups (4-2, 3-2 GSL) took advantage of sloppy defense from the Panthers (3-2, 2-2) in the second inning, scoring four unearned runs on just one hit and three Mead errors for a 4-0 lead. Megan Bertolero led the Panthers with a two-run homer in the fifth.