Cheney Ousted From Aa Tournament

AA soccer

Two goals was too much for the Cheney High School boys soccer team to overcome.

“Two goals is huge.” said Cheney coach Mark Belstad, whose Blackhawks were bounced from the State AA boys soccer tournament 2-0 by Eastmont of East Wenatchee on Saturday afternoon at Cheney.

“We only made up two goals one time this year.”

The District 7 No. 1-seed Blackhawks (14-2-1) fell in the same round in last year’s state tournament to another Mid-Valley League team, West Valley of Yakima. That, too, was by two goals (3-1).

Two goals . … you can lock it away,” Belstad said.

That’s exactly what the visitors did by scoring twice in the first half.

Eastmont (16-3-1), the No. 2 seed from District 5, advanced to the State AA quarterfinals, where they will host top-seeded West Valley of Yakima.

Eastmont’s first score came with 7:07 left in the first half on a Jose Limon strike that was assisted by Wesley Long.

The play started on a throw-in. Limon crossed the right side and struck from about 14 yards at the top of the arch before a sprawling Cheney keeper Tyler Stitt.

Stitt, who saved 13 of 15 shots in the game, was again caught on the ground with 1:54 left in the first half. Eastmont’s Alfonso Gonzalez’s inbound kick created a scramble in front of the cage. Teammate Coe Michaleson took advantage and popped the ball in from about 10 feet.

“We came on the field and we saw the Blackhawks’ physical stature,” Eastmont coach Bill Linterman said. “I was a little intimidated by their physicalness.”

But a couple of first-half goals took care of that.

The Blackhawks unloaded three shots in the first half and eight in the match. It appeared as though the Frontier League representative scored the match’s first goal at 14:08, but Ryan Waller’s goal was disallowed because it hit his hands.

“The difference was basically our aggressiveness, going to the ball, and the desire to win,” Linterman said.

Cheney played a steadier second half, but never got a clear shot at Eastmont keeper David Czesak.

“We played a good second half, Belstad said. “But free balls, they killed us on free balls. They crushed us on 50-50 balls.

“Anything that was free they got to much earlier than us, especially early in the first half. That set the tone.”

Eastmont 2, Cheney 0

SCORING: First half - none.

Second half - 1, E - Limon (Long), 7:07. E - Michaelson, 1:54.

Shots on goal - Eastmont 15, Cheney 8. Saves - Eastmont, Czesak 8. Cheney, Stitt 13.

WV Yakima 6, WV Spokane 1

Seth Burke scored three first-half goals to spark District 5 No. 1 seed West Valley of Yakima to a 6-1 victory over District 7 No. 2 seed West Valley of Spokane in Yakima.

Quinn Sharpe had the lone goal for the Eagles (10-7-1). Sharpe’s goal at the 59-minute mark cut the margin to 4-1.

SCORING: First half- 1, WVY, S.Burke, 6:00. 2, WVY, S.Burke, 38:00. 3, WVY, S.Burke (D.Burke), 40:00. Second half- 4, WVY, M.Schefter (Miller), 58:00. 5, WVS, Sharpe, 59:00. 6, WVY, Heinzen, 64:00. 7, B.Schefter (Eaton), 72:00.

Shots on goal -West Valley (Spokane) 3, West Valley (Yakima) 12. Saves -WVY, Koreski 2. WV, Kuntz 6.

First half - none. Second half - none.

Shots on goal - West Valley Spokane , West Valley Yakima. Saves - West Valley Yakima, . West Valley Spokane .

, DataTimes