Issaquah mounts comeback to beat Skyline in overtime
March 23, 2009
By Christopher Huber
Eagles remain undefeated, Spartans winless
Mitchell Kim, Skyline junior defender, kicks the ball away from Issaquah junior forward Lucas Morais in the first period of the March 20 soccer match. By Greg Farrar
The Skyline High School boys soccer team had it all but put away.
Freshman forward Pedro Miola had given the Spartans a 1-0 lead halfway through the first half of the March 20 matchup against Issaquah High School. And Eagles fans had all but lost hope that their team, which had struggled over the past few seasons, would come out of it with a perfect 3-0 start to the 2009 season.But a late second-half energy spurt on defense, a last-chance goal and a lucky shot in overtime for Issaquah spelled a 2-1 victory over Skyline at Issaquah High School.
“That’s a good team we beat. Hats off to Skyline,” said Issaquah coach Jason Lichtenberger. “That’s a classic Issaquah-Skyline game right there.”
The win was Issaquah’s third, first in 4A KingCo Conference Crest Division competition. Skyline, an annual powerhouse in KingCo, went to 0-2 overall and 0-1 in KingCo Crest.
“The work that Jason has been putting in with the boys here has finally paid off for them,” Skyline coach Don Braman said of Lichtenberger.
Issaquah made it a game with less than two minutes left in regulation.
Skyline had a wall of five defenders shielding the goal, occupied by standout keeper Brian Schwartz. But just as time ran down, Issaquah’s Lucas Morais took a feed from Quinn Grisham and penetrated the defense. As Schwartz took a chance to smother the ball high in the box, Morais eluded and scored with a tight, low shot into the left side of the goal. Issaquah fans leaped out of their seats in jubilation.
“Lucas is a very dynamic player. He’s explosive. He’s fast,” Lichtenberger said. “People cannot keep up with him. That’s all he needs. He needs one opening to make it happen.”
Each team had a chance to score in two five-minute periods in overtime. Skyline made its presence felt, but ultimately Issaquah midfielder Larry Schneider scored the game-winner in the final seconds of the first period.
“I just was feeling confident from the last two games,” he said. “I’ve known I can hit the ball from that range, and I just took a chance when I got the space and hit in.”
The goal came on a 20-yard floating shot just out of the reach of Schwartz and was Schneider’s third of the season.
“He couldn’t have got one at a bigger moment,” Lichtenberger said. “That finish, I mean that’s world-class right there.”
Skyline controlled the tempo of the game throughout. After Miola’s score in the 13th minute, Skyline held Issaquah to three real shots on goal. Skyline displayed solid ball control all night.
A typical Spartan-Eagle rivalry game, the teams played fast-paced, physical ball — each team received two yellow cards March 20.
“Tonight, I think we did a lot to ourselves,” Braman said, “but you have to respect the efforts that Issy put in — a team that never quits — and hopefully, we’ll see them again.”
Both Braman and Miola said Skyline could have shored things up earlier in the game.
“We had some missed opportunities,” Miola said. “We could have put the game away a little earlier.”
Issaquah fans and the team left the stadium with high spirits. Not only are they undefeated early on, but they beat their district rival for the first time in years.
“It’s the biggest win we can have, for sure,” Schneider said. “We haven’t beaten them in three, four years.”
Eagles off to winning start
Issaquah has already matched its victory total of last season, when the Eagles finished seventh in the 3A KingCo with a 3-10-3 mark.
The Eagles figure to be better this season because of the return of three-year starters Grisham, a midfielder, Morais, a forward, and Schneider, a midfielder. Other returning starters include midfielders Junpei Tsuji, Michael Axelson and Tommi Koho; and defenders Andrew Schubert, Grayson Gillin and Stephen Hertogs.
Connor Gerrity, a midfielder and defender, and Conner Holmes, a defender who started three games last season after moving up from the junior varsity team, are also back.
In addition to the victory against Skyline, Issaquah blanked West Seattle 3-0 March 16. Grisham scored a goal and assisted on goals by Schneider and Axelson.
Spartans face adversity
This is the year for Skyline to overcome adversity, Braman said. With a couple of key players out due to injury already, the team will spend the early part of the season finding its leaders, he added.
“We’re looking forward to quickly getting things together,” he said.
Riding a seven-year wave of playoff appearances and high school spirit from the girls state title win, the defending 3A KingCo champions hope to remain a presence in the league.
This year, it’s at the 4A level.
Among the team’s top returning players, senior forward Josh Twaddle looks to rise to the top as a team leader. Twaddle was 3A All-KingCo honorable mention in 2008.
“I expect him to step up and assume a lot of the leadership that would have been provided by Edgar (Esquivel),” Braman said.
Esquivel is out for the season after an injury playing club soccer.
Returning players Travis Strawn (midfielder) and Schwartz will also add to the arsenal as Skyline battles tough 4A competitors like Eastlake.
“We’re hopeful,” Braman said. “We have a lot of very skilled players and guys that have played at a high level for their club teams. I hope they can come together and perform.”
Patriots sizzling
Darren Tremblay, who has coached soccer at Liberty for 10 years, has the Patriots off to one of their best starts in recent years.
The Patriots won two more nonleague games last week to raise their record to 4-0. Liberty won just five games all last season.
Midfielder Cody Sorteberg’s goal at the 74th minute lifted the Patriots to a 2-1 victory against Bishop Blanchet March 17. Liberty trailed 1-0 at halftime, but Dean Byron scored on a penalty kick at the 50th minute to tie the score for the Patriots. Bryon, a defender, also assisted on Sorteberg’s goal.
The Patriots blew out Olympic 5-0 March 20. Blake Kessler, who plays forward and at midfield, and Dakota McKay, a midfielder, each scored two goals for Liberty. McKay also had an assist on a goal by Sorteberg. Liberty goalkeeper Alex Woehlbrandt recorded the shutout and also had an assist on Sorteberg’s goal.
McKay, Byron, Sorteberg and Woehlbrandt all played on the varsity team last year. Other top returning players are midfielders Blake Bergam and Jay Haberman, forwards Kevin Barretto and Mark Loreen, and defender Matt Filer.
Top newcomers include Kessler, defenders Hayden Carlson, Matt Johnson, Tony Kubeja and Jordan Warlick, and midfielders Justin Noonan and Brandon Werner.
The Patriots open 3A/2A KingCo competition this week. The Patriots played at Interlake March 24 (after The Press’ deadline), then host unbeaten Mercer Island March 27.
Reach Reporter Christopher Huber at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com. Bob Taylor contributed to this report. Reach him at ext. 236 or bobtaylor@isspress.com.
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