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Upstart Mountlake Terrace boys soccer falls in district semis

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, May 9, 2023

By Nick Patterson

Mountlake Terrace’s Job Astudillo pulls the jersey of a Mount Vernon player while trying to get the ball during the game on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 in Shoreline, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
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Mountlake Terrace’s Job Astudillo pulls the jersey of a Mount Vernon player while trying to get the ball during the game on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 in Shoreline, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace’s Job Astudillo pulls the jersey of a Mount Vernon player while trying to get the ball during the game on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 in Shoreline, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace players all leap in the air for a corner kick during the game against Mount Vernon on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 in Shoreline, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace’s Omar Kongira dribbles the ball around a defender during the game against Mount Vernon on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 in Shoreline, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace’s Ash Jeffers is poked in the face while trying to head a ball during the game against Mount Vernon on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 in Shoreline, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace’s Nickolas Portillo kicks the ball during the game against Mount Vernon on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 in Shoreline, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace’s Kyle Mervin heads the ball during the game against Mount Vernon on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 in Shoreline, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace’s Ash Jeffers tries to head a ball during the game against Mount Vernon on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 in Shoreline, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace’s Job Astudillo heads the ball during the game against Mount Vernon on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 in Shoreline, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace’s Ash Jeffers ducks while jumping for the ball during the game against Mount Vernon on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 in Shoreline, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mount Vernon players celebrate beating Mountlake Terrace on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 in Shoreline, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace players react to losing to Mount Vernon in overtime on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 in Shoreline, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

SHORELINE — The Mountlake Terrace High School boys soccer team’s Cinderella story didn’t come to an end Tuesday evening, but it did hit a speed bump.

Mount Vernon’s Aaron Diaz scored the golden goal a minute into the second overtime, giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 victory over the Hawks in the semifinals of the Class 3A District 1 tournament at Shoreline Stadium.

Mountlake Terrace, the No. 10 seed, unexpectedly played its way into the semifinals, and the Hawks were minutes away from reaching a second straight penalty shootout — Mountlake Terrace upset second-seeded Shorecrest on PKs three days earlier.

But Diaz picked up the ball at the left side of the penalty box, dribbled along the top edge, then hit a right-footed shot across the grain that just snuck inside the near post to send the Bulldogs (14-0-3) to Saturday’s championship game, as well as earn Mount Vernon a spot at state.

Mountlake Terrace (8-9-2) will face No. 5 Monroe in a winner-to-state game at 5 p.m. Thursday at Shoreline Stadium.

“Honestly, we played with a lot of heart,” Mountlake Terrace coach Chris Mitalas said. “I think that’s the theme of this team. We don’t take anything for granted, we go after every single team and we play like it’s our last game. We came up short tonight, but the boys are playing great, they’re on a good run, we’re playing with house money being the No. 10 seed, and we’re fine. We’re going to come back and we’re going to state, hands down.”

The first half was played to a scoreless stalemate, with Mountlake Terrace defender Fedel Tewolde at the center of the action on both ends. First, in the first minute, Tewolde smashed a shot off the crossbar following chaos from a corner kick. Then in the 27th minute Tewolde blocked a shot off the goal line after Mount Vernon’s Miguel Galindo connected with a bicycle kick following more corner-kick chaos at the other end.

In the second half it was Mountlake Terrace goalkeeper Brek Harasen who got the Hawks to overtime. First, in the 43rd minute he made a leaping fingertip save to put Vic Sandoval’s shot over the crossbar. Then in extra time he made a lunging kick save on Jose Gonzalez, before Manuel Rosales-Tisnardo headed the ensuing corner kick off the underside of the crossbar, and the game headed to sudden-death OT.

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