So Much For Expectations: Mead Wins 13th Straight Title

The 1995 version of Mead’s Greater Spokane League boys soccer title is quite different from the previous 12 soundtracks. This year, the Panthers weren’t picked to win the league title.

And that fact may have something to do with why some of the Panthers privately sang the blues about a lack of R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Said one Mead player who requested anonymity: “All year long, you guys (the media) picked (Gonzaga) Prep to win the GSL. You guys have run nothing but Prep photos in the paper, but we were in first from start to finish.”

Mead beat Gonzaga Prep 2-0 at Joey August Field in front of a crowd of about 500 on Wednesday to earn its 13th straight league title. The Panthers are the only team to win a regular-season GSL title since soccer became a varsity sport in 1983.

And while some of the Panthers (14-0-1-0, 44 points) may have felt slighted by not being favored to win the league, Mead coach Dick Cullen said life has been a little easier without all the expectation.

“With this young of a team, the expectations on the part of the people connected with Mead weren’t that high,” Cullen said. “That weight that is usually hanging around our necks to win everything wasn’t there. It was more relaxing.”

Wednesday’s game wasn’t relaxing for anyone affilliated with either team.

Mead scored first at the 5-minute mark, when Jim Morton gathered the ball, faked right, moved left and sent a shot to the left side of G-Prep (12-1-0-2, 38) goalie Brian Mullen from about 15 yards out.

Morton scored the final goal of the game at the 76-minute mark on a header off a centering pass from teammate Nick Hebb.

In between Morton goals, though, the story of the game for Prep was missed scoring opportunities.

Shortly after Morton’s first goal, G-Prep’s Ed Leonetti shot wide right of the goal. Then teammate Tim Bishop rifled a corner kick that bounced off the heads of Leonetti and Joe Ascolese before Mead cleared the ball.

G-Prep’s troubles continued in the second half as Mead’s defensive line of Aaron Grubb, Aaron Trainor, Jon Williams and Murk Lutpon (who left early with a knee injury) shut down the Bullpups’ offensive attack.

The Bullpups had 11 shots-on-goal to Mead’s five.

In other GSL contests, University beat Ferris 4-1 with the help of two Taj Johnson goals; North Central kept its playoff hopes alive with a 5-2 win over Central Valley; and Lewis and Clark beat Shadle Park 2-0 in overtime. The Tigers have won five games in a row, six of their last seven and held opponents scoreless in four of their last seven matches.