Shadow Happy To Be On Own Turf Looking For Victory After Two Losses On The Road Last Weekend

Spokane Shadow soccer coach Stuart Saunders is relieved that his team will see a different division opponent tonight.

Even though it is the Premier Development League Northwest Division’s first-place Abbotsford 86ers.

In its last four matches, Spokane has played Willamette Valley twice and Yakima twice.

The result: a win that didn’t count toward the division standings, a tie that kept the Shadow out of the U.S. Open Cup, and two losses.

Spokane is seeking its first division victory when it plays host to Abbotsford (4-3-1 NW Division) at 7:05 tonight at Albi Stadium.

“We don’t know anything about them,” said Saunders, who is thankful to be home for four matches.

The Shadow (2-2-2 overall, 0-2-2 NW Division) had two frustrating road matches last weekend with losses to Willamette Valley and Yakima. They missed two penalty kicks Friday in their 4-3 loss to the Firebirds in Corvallis, Ore. They lost 6-0 Saturday in Yakima for the worst defeat in team history.

“We have so many guys who are new that they don’t understand that everybody wants to play well against us, and we have to be able to match that,” Saunders, the team’s fist-year coach, said. “From that perspective, it was a good learning experience (last weekend).”

The Shadow finished second in the United Soccer League’s Premier League national championship in August. But it’s a different team this season, with 12 new players, including four under-19 development players from Spokane-area high schools.

Early in the season, Saunders never knew who was going to show up for practice.

“We were throwing guys on the field and saying `OK, play together,”’ Saunders said.

Injuries have hurt the team recently. The Shadow had only four substitutes for last weekend’s matches - 18 players can suit up, but Spokane had 15.

Defenders Justin Franson and Dan Huet are nursing groin injuries. And the Shadow will be without forward Zane Higgins tonight. He received a red card Saturday and has to sit out.

Saunders hopes the addition of defenders Matt Zeiset and Ryan Tracey from Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y., will add depth. Zeiset arrived Tuesday and Tracey arrived Thursday. Both could play tonight.

Notes

Mead High senior Elliot Fauske has quit the Shadow. He said he is burned out from the high school season and already is playing club soccer for the Spokane Falcons. Fauske, who is headed to Seattle University this fall to play soccer, said he will play with the Falcons through June, then train on his own. … The Spokane Chill, a women’s tournament team made up of current and former college players and a few high school players, will play before the Shadow at 4 p.m. today against the Lady Sixers of Vancouver, British Columbia. Another doubleheader is scheduled for next weekend - before the Shadow’s exhibition match with the A-League Seattle Sounders, the Chill will play the Sounders’ women’s team at 4 p.m. … From 9 a.m. until noon June 10 will be the Major League Soccer dribble, pass and shoot competition at Albi. It is free to children ages 6 to 14.

Today’s game Abbottsford vs. Spokane at Joe Albi Stadium, 7:05 p.m. Radio: 630 AM, pregame at 6:45 p.m.