Central Valley outlasts Wildcats

A game of cat and mouse between Greater Spokane League soccer unbeatens Central Valley and Mt. Spokane was settled in one relatively brief 5-minute second-half flurry.

The visiting Bears (7-1-1, 6-0), who had fallen behind 3 minutes earlier, scored twice, a minute apart, for a 2-1 victory that left them alone atop a taut league race.

Opportunistic Wildcats midfielder Jordan Marshall found himself in the right place at the right time for the first score of the afternoon with 16 minutes left in what primarily had been a game of thrust and parry on both sides.

Three minutes later, however, Bears scoring leader Jay Vela received a corner kick while racing across the field and found a wide-open net to tie the score.

Shortly thereafter, some nifty footwork led to Josh Antles’ game-winner. Joey Balcom started it with a pass to Vela, who went over the top to an open Antles, who lobbed the winning shot over Mt. Spokane’s tall All-GSL keeper Jeff Srock.

It was a stunning sequence in a physical match that featured runs and solid defense by both sides through a scoreless first half and more than half of the second period.

“They’re big and physical in the back, and we didn’t have too many legitimate chances,” CV coach Brandon Deyarmin said. “They had more.”

Neither team seriously threatened to score until Keith Kirsch got an open look midway through the second period against CV keeper Ryan Skay. Skay made the save, one of 16 in the match.

Three minutes later Eric Bofencamp lobbed a free kick 16 yards that Skay stopped, but then it bounced out of his hands and trickled to the side and a bit behind him, where an uncontested Marshall pushed it home.

CV’s tying goal came on a play that resembled an onside kick. The Bears overloaded the side opposite Jesse Dunbar’s corner kick and rushed toward him. He left it short to Vela, who made the uncontested shot on the near post.

“Usually I’m not the one who goes in for headers. I’m kind of short and weak there,” Vela said. “Jesse hits it short so I can hit it with my foot. I started from the far corner of the 18 (yard box), he sent a perfect ball to my foot and I put it in.”

Deyarmin said it was the best game his Bears (7-1-1, 6-0) had played this year in handing Mt. Spokane (8-1, 5-1) its first loss.

In other GSL action, Taylor Yonago scored twice in the second half as Ferris (7-2, 5-1) beat visiting West Valley (3-5, 1-5), 4-1. The Saxons haven’t lost since their league opener to Mt. Spokane. Keeper D.J. Bray had an assist with a long punt on the first of Yonago’s goals. Neil Bachman scored his fourth league goal and seventh overall for WV. … East Valley (6-1, 5-1) scored twice in the final 3 minutes of the first half to beat visiting Gonzaga Prep (4-3, 3-3), 2-1, and become part of a three-way tie for second place, a game behind CV. Ben Funkhouser assisted both goals, one by team leader Cole Abramson. Max Mean got his eighth for the Bullpups. … Michael Hoover‘s energetic play helped spark Mead (3-5, 3-3) to a 4-1 win over visiting Lewis and Clark (1-6, 1-5), four different players scoring at home against the Tigers. … Matt Stockinger scored in the shootout, then moved into goal and made a key stop as North Central (2-7, 1-5) got its first GSL win with a 3-2 shootout win over Rogers (4-5, 2-4). Vladimir Malko scored twice in regulation for the visiting Pirates. … Each team controlled a half of play, but Shadle Park’s (6-2, 4-2) two first-half goals were the difference in a 2-1 win over Cheney (5-3-1, 3-3). One was on a header by Dallas McIntyre off Kyle Wirtz‘s 40-yard free kick, the other on Andy Largent‘s interception and breakaway. … University (4-4, 3-3) continued its scoring struggles, Keith Realing‘s header off a cross by Bryan Hendricks coming in overtime at the 84th minute cementing a 1-0 win against visiting Clarkston (0-7, 0-6).