CV defense aids winning streak

You could easily envy Andrew Enzler’s vantage point for watching the undefeated Central Valley Bears soccer team.

The senior has an unobstructed, field-level, up-close-and-personal view for each of the team’s 16 straight wins, including Tuesday’s 4-3 win over Pasco in the Tri-Cities that earned the Bears a berth in the first round of the state tournament.

In exchange, Enzler occasionally has to swat away a stray ball that gets kicked his way. But that’s not a nuisance.

After all, he’s the team’s goalkeeper.

“I do have to be careful and not get caught up watching,” Enzler said with a laugh. “But it’s so much fun watching how good this group of guys are.”

It’s a challenge, too, because so few balls get through an exceptionally stout CV defense.

“I’m not called on to make as many saves as, say, the Ferris keeper has to make in a game,” he said. “But I still have to stay ready and focused.”

A year ago Central Valley reached the first round of the state Class 4A tournament, losing to Curtis in a shootout. In its final two games – against Pasco and at state against Curtis, the Bears did not allow a goal during the run of play, and allowed just 11 goals all season.

That exceptional defense was the backbone of last year’s squad, and the seniors who anchored that unit graduated and there were some who questioned whether this year’s group would be as stellar.

Turns out, they may well be better.

“To me it was pretty crazy,” Enzler said. “Before the season, we looked at what we were going to have this year and there were just so many underclassmen. We didn’t really know how the team was going to work out. But through those first practices and through multiple games it’s just been crazy how well this team works together.

“Our goals-against average (going into the playoff game at Pasco) is something like 59-8. I don’t know. I think we’re as good a defense as we were last year. Maybe better.”

As an engaged observer, Enzler said there have been times this season when he’s been awed by what he’s seen his team do.

“There were a couple plays early in the season that were just incredible,” he explained. “We just kind of scratched our heads and thought ,‘Wow, this team could go really far.’ ”

And make no mistake, the CV boys squad so wants to go far this year.

“We catch so much stuff from the girls team,” Enzler laughed. “They’ve won back-to-back state titles and they never let us forget it.

“But at the same time, they are such great supporters of what we’re doing and vice versa.”

Much of the credit for this year’s 15-0 start to the season, Enzler said, goes to a senior class that learned much from senior leaders a year ago and has worked hard to follow in their predecessor’s footsteps.

Credit, too, the influx of speed this year’s newcomers bring to the pitch.

“We have really good individual skills,” Enzler said. “But we have so much speed. The pace of play we have this year is incredible. This group can do everything we could do last year, only faster.”

Central Valley coach Andres Monrroy has installed a fluid style of play patterned after the one used by World Cup champion Germany – a style that plays well to the team’s strengths.

Where some teams divide up responsibilities between defenders, midfielders and forwards, CV plays a style that allows players plenty of freedom, and corresponding responsibility, within the offense.

“This is a fun style for everyone to play in,” Enzler said. “We’re having a lot of fun.”

For his part, Enzler has stepped up to make big plays from time to time.

“We had a play where the other team got the ball through our defense,” he recalled. “Their forward had a point-blank shot from about six feet out and I made probably the best save of my entire career.

“My teammates went nuts and were patting me on the back. That made me feel really good, and it made them that much more excited about how good this team can be.”