Lake Stevens out-muscles Federal Way in soccer semifinal
Published 11:30 pm Friday, May 28, 2010
LAKEWOOD — Soccer is often a sport that highlights speed and skill. But sometimes good old fashioned size and strength does the trick, too.
The Lake Stevens Vikings took full advantage of their advantage in height and muscle, overpowering the Federal Way Eagles 2-0 Friday night in the semifinals of the Class 4A high school boys soccer tournament.
Strongmen John Gleason and Nick Bylin scored on goalmouth scrambles — both created by the Vikings’ physical presence in the box — as Lake Stevens advanced to face Stadium in today’s championship game.
“It’s incredible,” Lake Stevens coach Scott Flanders said about the opportunity to play for the state title. “No team sport other than wrestling has won a state title in our school’s history, so it’s pretty special.”
Lake Stevens’ victory set up a No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup in the title game at 4 p.m. today at Harry E. Lang Stadium. Stadium is ranked first in the state by the coaches’ association, the Vikings (18-2-1) are ranked second.
“We expect a big test (today) against Stadium,” Flanders said. “They’ve been No. 1 all season, we’ve been No. 2 in the state rankings the last couple weeks. So it will be a real nice final.”
Physical power carried the day for Lake Stevens. Whether it was Bylin’s mammoth frame in the box during set pieces or Mark Russell’s long throw-ins, the Vikings just proved too much for Federal Way to handle.
“It was a good fight,” said Bylin, who set up the first goal in the first half before scoring the insurance goal in the second. “We always play kind of physical and rough, so it was pretty normal.
“Me and Mark and John, height advantage always helps.”
Federal Way (12-6-3), on a fairy-tale run after finishing seventh in the South Puget Sound League, faces Ferris in the third-place game today at noon.
Both teams were playing without their top offensive threat. Lake Stevens’ leading goal scorer Nic Rowe is out with a broken bone in his foot sustained earlier in the playoffs. Federal Way’s Kelyn Rowe, a UCLA recruit who netted nine times in Federal Way’s previous four games, is attending a club tournament in Florida.
“Obviously they were without their leading goal scorer, we’re without ours,” Flanders said. “He just happened to score 32 goals for his team, ours scored 12.
“I was really happy with the way we played,” Flanders added. “I felt we were pretty tight at the beginning — it is a state semifinal game. I think once we settled in we really started to play.”
After a 15-minute feeling-out period where play took place primarily in midfield, Lake Stevens opened the scoring in the 19th minute. Bylin rose high to get his head on Jake Orwiler’s corner kick, forcing a reaction block by Federal Way goalkeeper Eddie Gomez. The ball dropped in the goal box, where Gleason banged in the rebound to give Lake Stevens a 1-0 lead.
The goal energized the Vikings, who maintained the pressure, and Lake Stevens nearly scored again from another corner, the towering Bylin this time putting his header off the post two minutes later.
Then it was the Eagles’ turn to almost score from a corner, Brad Lewis’ goalbound header in the 30th minute kept out by a diving save from Tanner Eney, thus preserving Lake Stevens’ lead heading into the second half.
Lake Stevens took control of the game in the second half, and the Vikings made it 2-0 in the 58th minute, again thanks to their physical presence. This time Russell, whose long throw-ins caused Federal Way problems all night, heaved a throw toward the goal mouth. A scramble ensued, and Bylin was Johnny on the spot to put home a loose ball from point blank, making it 2-0.
“I feel our Wesco North really prepares teams to come to the state tournament,” Flanders said. “We play hard, gritty battles every single night. Our guys face adversity all season long and found ways to overcome it.”
The second goal essentially clinched the game and Lake Stevens had several other scoring chances to increase its lead before the final whistle arrived.
