Bears Face Test With Richland
State soccer
Central Valley soccer coach Craig Griffiths says you can never count out his Bears.
Not even when they play Richland this weekend in the first round of the State 4A Tournament.
“You can never underestimate us,” Griffiths said Tuesday after his team lost 2-0 to University to determine seeding.
But this by far will be the toughest test of the season for the young CV team, which travels to Richland on Saturday to face the Big Nine Conference-champion Bombers in a 1 p.m. game.
Richland (16-0) is ranked ninth in the nation in this week’s National Soccer Coaches Association poll. The Bombers have qualified for state all 13 years the Big Nine has offered soccer. They’re second in the Region IV poll behind Eldorado of Albuquerque, N.M.
And they have forward Hope Solo.
The superstar senior was an All-American as a junior and has scored 33 goals this fall and has 104 for her career.
Richland already has defeated Greater Spokane League champion University 6-0 in a non-league match this fall and also beat GSL runner-up Mead 5-0.
U-Hi will host Big Nine No. 2 Pasco at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Bulldogs lost 2-0 to Richland on Tuesday.
“We focused on not having to travel to the Big Nine,” said Titans coach Brandon Deyarmin.
Pasco (9-4) is making its first state appearance. And this is the first time Kamiakin didn’t make it out of the Big Nine since 1988.
Previously, the teams always have been Richland and Kamiakin.
In the State 3A Tournament, Frontier League champion East Valley (11-2-4) hosts Mid-Valley League runner-up Hanford (14-3-1) at noon Saturday.
The Falcons are led by sophomore forward Erin Liedle with 34 goals. Malea Schumacher leads EV with 15.
The Knights defeated Hanford in a shootout in the first round of State last year. Then they lost to Mid-Valley champion West Valley of Yakima in the quarterfinals.
“That Mid-Valley League has been awfully good the last 10 years,” EV coach Bill Wright said. “They have a good program down there. We have had a problem getting past them. But we’re getting better little by little.”
Wright said a few players who have battled injuries in recent weeks will be healthy.
Defending State 2A champion Riverside (15-1-1) goes for the District 7 2A title at noon Saturday when it plays host to Great Northern League second-place team Pullman (14-3).
Rams leading scorer Larissa Mueller said she believes her team can win State again.
In boys action, second-seeded Northwest Christian plays host to No. 3 Valley Christian at 2 p.m. today to determine the second seed to the District 7 1A/B Tournament. Today’s winner meets Bi-County League champion St. George’s at 2 p.m. Friday for seeding.
The No. 1 team plays the No. 2 team from Valley/Central at 11 a.m. Nov. 12 at Albi Stadium. The No. 2 team faces the Valley/Central No. 1 in the next game at 1 p.m.