Schools tackle spring soccer

The one thing you can say about the opening round of the 2009 spring high school boys soccer season is this:

At least it wasn’t snowing, sleeting or otherwise showering.

The season opened Wednesday afternoon and there was a great deal of pasty skin on display – leftovers from a long winter and a sluggish spring. And there was little need to worry about sunscreen on this overcast day in which the chill of excitement got drowned out by just-plain chills.

“Oh, man – it was like this last year, too,” said Jeff Paulus, the new coach at East Valley, who played host to University and lost a 1-0 decision.

Paulus’ first workouts with his Knights were held indoors in the East Valley gym – not exactly the kind of surface for which the game was created.

Then again, neither was the muddy, soggy pitch the teams encountered Wednesday. In spots, the grass pitch was relatively firm. In others, it had the consistency of day-old farina. It was impossible to tackle and not wear about a square-foot of mud afterward.

“I think you’ll see our level of play improve as you see the conditions improve,” Paulus predicted.

The victorious Titans feel the same way.

“I saw some things that I really liked and some things that we’re going to have to work on,” coach Kevin Houston said. “Considering the conditions …”

But that’s just the challenge. The conditions figure to make their improvements incrementally. In the highly competitive Greater Spokane League, every game counts – meaning that teams who best handle the early-season conditions are the ones most likely to reach the playoffs.

A year ago there was a virtual five-way logjam atop the league’s standings. Houston is on record predicting a similar finish this year – with GSL coaches predicting Ferris, Lewis and Clark, University, Mead and Central Valley all figuring in the mix.

Against East Valley, the Titans displayed a stout defense and a solid midfield – led, respectively, by junior defender Aaron Gleason and senior midfielder Mike Ramos, both first-team All-GSL selections a year ago. Senior forward Evan Frobe also was a first-team pick a year ago.

“We need both of those strengths because we have a very young goalkeeper,” Houston said. “He’s a good, young keeper, but he doesn’t have the kind of experience you’d like to have back there.”

Freshman Cojo Smith earned the shutout against the Knights by making just three saves. Sophomore forward Zach Allert scored the game-winning goal, dribbling a ball past East Valley goalkeeper Kasey Barbieri, who was screened on the shot.

The Knights are young but have a pair of four-year starters holding down the midfield.

Senior Andrew Mastronardi will take his game to Division I on a full-ride scholarship to Oregon State next year. Teammate Matt Eatock is a veteran.

“I’m excited for Andrew – he’s worked so hard and he deserves the chance to play college soccer,” Paulus said. “We have a great group of freshmen coming into the program who have been playing club soccer together for a long time. I already have three of them on the varsity.”

Central Valley also got its season underway Wednesday, but avoided having to slog around a muddy pitch by facing Ferris at Joe Albi Stadium. Senior midfielder Trevor Delmedico, a second-team All-GSL selection as a junior, scored the game-winning goal 13 minutes into the game while goalkeeper Ryan Wurz recorded the shutout by making eight saves.

A year ago Central Valley finished a game away from reaching the state Class 4A quarterfinals, losing 2-0 to Mead. In three meetings with the Panthers, neither team managed to score in the flow of play. Mead won during the regular season by scoring off a corner kick. Central Valley won the Eastern Regional semifinal at Mead in an overtime shootout. In the first-round of the state playoffs, the Panthers scored twice off set pieces – a first-half corner kick and a second-half free kick from the top of the penalty area – to end the Bears season.

Delmedico scored twice as the Bears beat Pasco to claim the regional championship and earn a ticket into the state playoffs, where they met the Panthers for the third time.

Coach Andres Monrroy was named the GSL coach of the year after his first season leading Central Valley.