Cheney loses shootout, will play for third place

CAMAS, Wash. – The reluctant goalkeeper took the final shot.

Senior Dustin Eppler scored the deciding shootout goal Friday as Mount Rainier dispatched Cheney 2-1 at the State 3A boys soccer tournament.

Eppler, a forward until this season, has guided the Rams (16-4-1) to a 17-match unbeaten streak. He told his teammates that he’ll do anything to help the Rams’ cause, but he still likes to get his kicks on the field.

“My coach (Dave Hanson) said it’s really not good to have your keeper take penalty kicks,” Eppler said. “But I talked him into it.”

Eppler said he felt little pressure taking the fifth attempt in the shoot- out. By then, the Rams led the shoot- out 4-3 and faced no worse than a tie and second shootout round.

Both of the day’s semifinals at Doc Harris Stadium ended 2-1 after shoot- outs. Meadowdale (19-2-1), the day’s first winner, will face Mount Rainier at 5 tonight for the state title.

Cheney (17-5), making its first appearance in the Final Four, will play Shorecrest (13-5-4) at 11 a.m. for third place.

“It was basically a tie game,” said Cheney coach Steve Davis. “We have to decide it some way or another. Unfortunately, we were on the short end of the shootout this time.”

The Rams dominated the first half with a 7-0 advantage in shots on goal. Light rain began about 5 minutes into the match, but it wasn’t a factor in the first half.

Rams senior Jordan Duke scored his third goal of the season with 6 minutes left in the half. Duke one-touched a shot into the right corner of the goal, past a diving Josh Hooley.

Davis challenged the Blackhawks to play their style in the second half.

”(Mount Rainier) plays the ball in the air and we tend to play the ball on the ground,” Davis said. “In the second half, we settled down and played our game.”

Cheney’s first three shots on goal of the afternoon came during a sequence that tied the match. Jeff Davis sent a free kick into the middle, setting up two shots by sophomore Jesse Retan. The second attempt hit the crossbar and bounced to sophomore Tyler Coulston, who punched in a high shot for his second goal of the season.

“The ball’s in the (goal) box and pings around there,” coach Davis said. “Fortunately, we got that one. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any others.”

Heavy rain and hail fell midway through the second half. The downpour stopped by the time Rams junior Lance Davis hit the top left of the crossbar with a final-second shot.

Neither team had a serious attempt in overtime. The major play of the shootout came when Blackhawks season scoring leader Chad Thornton hit the right upright on his team’s third attempt.

“After that, I had no worries,” Eppler said.

“Chad got us out of so many situations this year and made things happen for us,” coach Davis said. “It’s tough right now for him, but I’m sure he’ll realize that he had a great game out there in the second half.”