E-W soccer’s state run comes to an end with loss to Lakeside

SEATTLE — The Edmonds-Woodway High School boys soccer team made its way through the postseason via ball control and team play.

Friday evening the Warriors ran into a team that did it just a little bit better.

The Lakeside Lions bossed the game with their skill and ball control, and the Warriors’ season came to an end with a 4-0 loss in the Class 3A state tournament round of 16 at Ingraham High School.

“Props to the other team’s offense, they were very good,” Edmonds-Woodway central defender Phillip Borchert said. “We did our best to hang in there, but the deficit was just too big to come back from. I was proud of how our team kept playing and giving it their all.”

Charlie Holmes scored twice in the first half, then Cole Brown scored 15 seconds into the second half as second-seeded Lakeside (16-2-1) put the game away early. Adam Walker added the fourth goal for the Lions, who advanced to face 10th-seeded Peninsula in Saturday’s quarterfinal at Seattle Memorial Stadium.

Edmonds-Woodway, the No. 15 seed, ended its season 14-5-2.

In the opening minutes the Warriors showed some promise, including Victor Ibarra’s dangerous shot from 25 yards out. But from the moment Holmes opened the scoring in the 10th minute until Walker scored the fourth in the 53rd to prompt a string of substitutions, Lakeside was in total control as Edmonds-Woodway goalkeeper Gabe Wilhelm was given a workout.

“The game plan was to try and keep the game to the center of the field, knowing they have very strong wings,” Edmonds-Woodway coach Michael Ochoa said. “We had a difficult time doing that with the organization they had in there. Preparing for the game, I think we were ready to step out there with these guys. But (Lakeside coach Mark Szabo) has a good staff and a good group of players that I’d seen before. Still, it was definitely disappointing.”

Holmes was one of those players on the wing, and the Warriors couldn’t find a way to contain him in the first half. Holmes opened the scoring by punching home a wide-open shot from inside the penalty box following a nice piece of skill from Jonathan Vonderlage to set him up. Then he made it a 2-0 game in the 23rd minute all on his own, as he made a series of moves at the edge of the penalty box to free up a shooting lane, then powered a shot into the upper-right corner.

The Lions had several other high-quality scoring chance, but the Warriors were able to get to halftime trailing by just two goals. However, within a blink of an eye following the second-half kickoff Edmonds-Woodway was down three. Lakeside quickly worked the ball down the left, and when the cross came in Brown volleyed it home to make it 3-0.

“That was really big,” Ochoa said about the third goal. “We just came off a halftime talk of making sure we were tight on defense. I made some adjustments at the back with certain players, and I feel like that probably had something to do with it, that we had new guys at the back. It kind of takes that wind out of you. The players tried to rally, but that’s a tough one to come back from.”

Walker made it 4-0 with a thunderbolt from 30 yards out, and shortly after the Lions emptied the bench as the game was played to a stalemate the rest of the way.

Although Edmonds-Woodway’s season ended, the Warriors took pride in the fact they reached the state tournament for the first time since 2016.

“I’m extremely proud of our team and how we played this season,” Borchert said. “We have a lot of seniors on the team, and I’m a senior, so it’s tough to say goodbye. But I’m proud of how far we got.”