Christilaw: Soccer season underway for local high schools
Central Valley
There’s a fascinating crossroads at work at Central Valley as the 2016 boys soccer season gets underway.
For the returning Bears, last year was a case of unfulfilled promise after losing, 3-1, to Snohomish in the state championship game. In their minds, they didn’t do quite enough to win the title that just slipped from their grasp and have vowed to work even harder and backed it up with an off-season full of weight-lifting and kick-arounds in the gym.
On the other hand, the 19-straight victories that carried CV through the regular Greater Spokane League season and all the way to the title game put a target on the Bears collective backs. Every team Central Valley faces will be anxious to hand them a loss.
“We know we have a target on our back,” coach Andres Monrroy said. “But our goal isn’t to be undefeated – in fact, we already lost a match (1-0 to Eastmont), so we know we’re not going to be undefeated.”
First-team All-GSL midfielder Nathan Grinalds and GSL most valuable player J.D. Hauenstein organized the off-season workouts and have the team focused on its long-term goal of bringing home a state title.
“Our goal is to win a state championship,” the coach said flatly.
The Bears are 6-1 after walloping Mt. Spokane Tuesday night, 7-1.
Last year’s goalkeeper Andrew Enzler graduated and senior Kendall Findley steps into the starting role. Through the first seven games he’s allowed no opponent more than a lone goal.
Replacing defenders Braden Corigliano (All-GSL) and Gabe Grabowski should have been an early challenge, but the Bears’ defense has picked up where it left off last year.
The midfield is what separates CV from other teams. The ball flows through the Bears midfield and gets distributed quickly and efficiently to a fast set of forwards.
Mark McClain scored two goals and assisted on a third in a 10 minute span of the second half against Mt. Spokane.
Coach: Andres Monrroy
Roster: Noah Whitman, jr.; Noah Haskins, sr.; Chase Reidt, sr.; R.J. Stretch, so.; Devin Hauenstein, so.; Riley Baker, jr.; Payton Ochse, jr.; J.D. Hauenstein, sr.; Mark McClain, sr.; Jameson Dumo, jr.; Blake Riley, sr.; Ethan Dreves, sr.; Jacob Hermes, jr.; Kevin Harper, jr.; Jake Levine, jr.; Nathan Grinalds, sr.; Luke Livingston, jr.; Jared Creighton, Jr. Goalkeepers: Kendall Findley, sr.; Andrew Bertone, Fr.
University
The Titans finished fifth in the GSL a year ago and look to build on that success in their second season under coach Mitch Weller, and if that’s the case, U-Hi could be a sleeper come playoff time.
Weller has 10 returning starters back from a year ago and a dozen letter winners as a nucleus.
Coach: Mitch Weller
Roster: Zachary Mattson, fr.; Adam Drassen, jr.; Austin Sterner, jr.; Tate O’Kert, so.; Fraser Robertson, fr.; Craig Robertson, jr.; Ty Haskew, so.; Blake Dickinson, so.; Tyler Kemp, sr.; Travis Reeder, sr.; Braeden Little, sr.; Diego Garcia, fr.; Bailey VanSlyke, jr.; Jimmy Garrison, sr.; Skylar Garvin, Jr. Goalkeepers: Hunter Attwood, jr.; Jaymon Manzi, fr.
East Valley
The Knights are 3-3-1 after dropping a heartbreaker, 1-0 to rival West Valley on Tuesday night.
East Valley has posted wins over Cheney, Clarkston and University to start the season, and the team’s losses have come at the hands of Gonzaga Prep, Pullman and West Valley.
Goalkeeper Kohl Tomcho earned the Knights first win by making a half-dozen saves in regulation and five more in extra time, then kicked the game-winning penalty kick in the shootout to beat Cheney.
Defender Ryan Graham, midfielder DeVonte Gorman and Tristan Gresch, each a first-team all-league selection a year ago, return for the Knights.
Coach: Gabe Escobar
Roster: Giuliano Dinaro, fr.; Dmitriy Kozenya, so.; Joseph Gresch, so.; Zachary Bowsky, so.; DeVonte Gorman, jr.; Kyle Richardson, jr.; Torrez Collette, jr.; Chase Binder, sr.; Trevor Jacobs, sr.; Ryan Graham, sr.; Tristan Gresch, sr.; David Sandness, so.; Gavin Thorpe, jr.; Vitaliy Zubritskiy, so.; Luis Inchausti, jr.; Matthew Spitze, sr.; Robert Ward, So.
Goalkeekers: Colton Sior, so.; Kohl Tomcho, jr.
West Valley
The Eagles have won four of their last five matches heading into a showdown rematch Thursday with Pullman.
West Valley started the season with three straight losses to top-level competition, falling to Gonzaga Prep, Central Valley and Pullman.
Kual Nyiang, a first-team All-Great Northern League forward a year ago, converted a pair of penalty kicks to spark the Eagles to a 3-1 win over Clarkston.
Nyiang scored the game winner in the 68th minute Tuesday against East Valley.
Coach: Lenny Peterson
Roster: Tajadin Mohammed, so.; Kyle Fay, jr.; Cory Hatten, so.; Aaron Fay, jr.; Chris Lucas, sr.; Caleb Atkins, so.; Chase Howat, so.; Kristian Olesen, sr.; Tristan Payne, sr.; Kual Nyiang, sr.; Jayden Payne, so.; Drake Petersen, so.; Austin Newsom, sr.; Mike Silva, Sr.
Goalkeepers: Zack Babinski, sr.; Tanner Jones, so.