Shorecrest blanks Cheney for 3rd place

CAMAS, Wash. – Rylan Hawkins and Taylor Starkey both bagged their 14th souvenirs Saturday.

Starkey, a senior midfielder, scored his team-high 14th goal to give Shorecrest a 1-0 win over Cheney in the third-place match of the State 3A boys soccer tournament at Doc Harris Stadium.

Registering his 14th shutout of the season was junior goalkeeper Hawkins, who allowed one goal during four state playoff matches.

The Highlanders (14-5-4) of Seattle took home their fifth third-place trophy during the 15-year coaching career of Teddy Matalas.

Cheney (17-7) placed fourth, the best finish in school history. The Blackhawks of 1992 qualified for the final 16.

“We played pretty even with this team,” said fifth-year Blackhawks coach Steve Davis. “We had our chances to put it in (the goal) and they had their chances to put it in. It didn’t fall for us today.”

As was the pattern during the two-day tournament, heavy rain fell before the contest. For the most part, however, the rain went away until the final 5 minutes of play.

Davis started senior goalkeeper Tim Reinbold in place of sophomore Josh Hooley, the starter during Friday’s semifinal shootout loss. Hooley replaced Reinbold for the second half.

“Tim stepped up for us in a couple of games this year when Josh was injured,” Davis said. “Both of my keepers kept us in the games here.”

Starkey scored from 10 yards out in the 13th minute. He twisted around defender Cody Kendall and left-footed a shot into the lower-right corner.

Hawkins deflected away a hard kick by the Blackhawks’ season scoring leader, Chad Thornton, in the 29th minute.

Cheney picked up a pair of yellow cards during the first part of the second half.

Sophomore Tyler Coulston, who scored Cheney’s lone goal Friday, had a clear shot out front in the 49th minute, but the attempt sailed high.

The Blackhawks’ last big chance came in the 74th minute, after Thornton’s shot set up a corner kick. Senior Wade Neilson knocked a header right of the goal.

“We were happy to be here,” Davis said. “We were disappointed not to be in the final round. But we have goals for next season and already talked about them in (the locker room after the match).”