4A soccer: Jeremy Ratcliff’s hunch pays off as LC advances on penalties
Months ago, the Lewis and Clark soccer players had a hunch that this could be a special season.
On Thursday night at Joe Albi Stadium, LC goalkeeper Jeremy Ratcliff had another hunch – one that put the Tigers a win away from the state tournament.
In the fifth round of a penalty-kick shootout against archrival Ferris, Ratcliff changed his mind at the last instant, got a hand on Barrett Freshler’s kick and clinched the Tigers’ 2-1 win over the Saxons in their 4A regional showdown.
Halfway through Freshler’s run-up, Ratcliff admitted that “I had no idea where to go. I was going to go to my right, and at the last second I went left and I was lucky to get my hand on it.”
Seconds later, Ratcliff offered a hand to anyone who would take it as the Tigers were joined by dozens of joyful students on the Albi turf.
“I was just ecstatic and I knew how much it meant for the team, so it was hugs all around,” Ratcliff said.
The win sends the Tigers (14-4) to a winner-to-state, loser-out showdown Saturday afternoon at Pasco, while Ferris – the state runner-up last year, finished 13-7.
The win was all the sweeter for the LC seniors, who were eliminated by the Saxons last year at district. The Tigers exacted a bit of revenge in a 2-0 regular-season win two weeks ago, but this one meant even more.
“It huge for me and the seniors,” said midfielder Alex McNeill.
After an evenly-matched game, each team made its first three shootout kicks. But Ratcliff easily blocked Kandon Simon’s shot in the fourth round, giving McNeill a chance to put LC ahead.
After taking at least a 10-yard run-up, McNeill took advantage of a stumble by Ferris keeper Filipp Churkin and slotted the ball inside the left post to set the stage for Ratcliff’s block.
“Penalty kicks are something I love to do,” McNeill said. “I always do the big run-up, get the stutter-step and the keepr falls down and I have the easy open net.”
The match lived up the moment, as several hundred fans watched good end-to-end play and missed chances by both sides.
The Tigers had the better of it in the first half and were rewarded when Jared Mehaffey’s corner kick found Charlie Rieger for a header that found the back of the net late in the period.
LC had a chance to double its lead, but Churkin made a point-blank save four minutes after halftime. Despite playing their fifth match in 10 days, the Saxons gained strength as the night wore on.
After Jacob Bloomfeldt got the equalizer in the 58th minute, the Saxons missed several chances in regulation and overtime, but couldn’t connect.
“I thought we played a really good first half … but we looked a little sluggish in the second half,” LC coach Mica Lamb said. “But I was proud of our attitude.”