Ferris boys beat Mead in soccer

The Ferris boys soccer team weathered more than a few storms Wednesday on the way to a 3-1 Greater Spokane League win over visiting Mead.

The young Saxons, who were already reeling from last week’s loss at Gonzaga Prep, were short-handed before Wednesday’s match even began, and then lost several more players to injury.

Next to all that, what’s a little thunder and lightning?

“We had some adversity today … but the kids responded really well and came through,” Ferris coach Robin Crain said after a match that left both teams 2-1 in the GSL.

The Saxons, who missed on two other early chances, were leading 1-0 on Hebron Shanko’s first-minute goal when officials ordered the field cleared midway through the first half.

Forty-five minutes later, after the thunderstorm passed over the South Hill, the players and about 50 hardy fans reassembled on the rain-soaked field.

Mead got the momentum after the break, but Ferris took a 2-0 lead in the 24th minute when Kandon Simon sent a long ball into the box. Panthers goalkeeper Brady Sohn misjudged the ball, his punch attempt merely grazing the ball as it curled under the crossbar.

Mead got one back 2 minutes later on Hayden Del Pizzo’s penalty kick after a foul in the box. Ferris keeper Alex Pells dove to his right, but Del Pizzo sent the ball the other way to cut the deficit in half.

The Panthers (4-1) suffered their first loss of the season partly because they couldn’t take advantage of several Ferris mistakes early in the second half.

Finally, in the 64th minute, Evan Cox and Barrett Freshler executed a nifty wall pass; another touch by Freshler sent the ball to senior forward Terry Cox, who had found open space about 15 yards from goal.

“It was a good combination play,” said Cox, who headed the ball into the upper-left corner of the net for a 3-1 lead.

“Evan and Barrett did a great job. It was mostly them,” said Cox, who thought the win was “absolutely necessary” after the Saxons’ 2-0 loss at G-Prep last week.

Perhaps that was a wakeup call, said Cox, one of only three returning starters from last year’s State 4A runner-up team.

Indeed, Ferris (4-2 overall) played with urgency and outshot the Panthers 15-9.

“We’ve been there thinking it’s going to be easy after being second at state last year, but we got a reality check last week,” Cox said. “We just need to keep the energy going.”

Greater Spokane League