Shorewood boys soccer storms to district three-peat

SHORELINE — The nerves of a championship game can weigh many high school teams down. The finality of the situation can drown out the years of preparation that an athlete put into their game if they don’t work past it in the moment.

But when Shorewood junior forward Matthew Bereket stepped to the rain-soaked spot to take a third-minute penalty kick during Saturday’s District 1 3A boys soccer title game against Monroe, he could only think of what good could come of nailing the shot.

“I was like, ‘The rest of the game depends on this penalty, if I score this, we have the momentum,’” Bereket said. “‘Let me do this for the people behind me, my family, everything.’”

With those thoughts swirling around, Bereket launched a shot to the bottom left corner of the net for what would prove to be the deciding score in the latest of three consecutive district titles for Shorewood (16-2-1).

The Stormrays didn’t know that at the time, and, frankly, wouldn’t have cared had they known.

“On the coaching side, I don’t think (the goal) changed a lot of what we were doing. We played the whole first half straight up,” Shorewood head coach Shaun Warner said. “But it was nice getting that goal, it probably eased fear or excitement.”

Whether it came from their winning DNA or from Bereket’s early heroics, the confidence Shorewood displayed from the outset was undeniable. With seasoned goal scorers Niki Genadiev and Kai Ayers out with injury, scoring early certainly didn’t harm Shorewood’s chances.

The Stormrays contested every movement of a highly skilled Monroe attack, which recorded no corners in the first half and just one in the second. Monroe scored twice off corner kicks in its semifinal win over Marysville Getchell by using its superior height.

The Bearcats (16-2-0) responded to the physicality, but came out of the first half with two yellow cards and just three shots on goal. Players slipped at even marginal contact at times, as the turf of Shoreline Stadium was soaked almost immediately by the constant downpour.

Despite having seen one shot slip by early on the penalty, Bearcats goalkeeper Pedro Gaspar regathered himself and had a solid outing for Monroe. The senior used his full arsenal, kicking and punching away seven more Shorewood shots on goal to keep his squad in the fight.

“Goals always happen, you just gotta move on, the game’s not done,” Gaspar said.

With Gaspar and the backline holding down the fort, the Bearcats kept pushing for the equalizer. They would get their first corner kick early in the second half, but would have to go without them for the remainder of the game as the Shorewood defense cut the baseline off well.

Shorewood sophomore defender Caleb Butler wasn’t a part of the previous two title runs, but like many new additions to the varsity lineup, he has made himself a key piece. He believes the mindset to contest every opposing opportunity is well-embedded in Shorewood by now.

“We were able to recognize pretty early what the threats were, and it was a team effort to shut them down,” Butler said of Monroe. “We’re just winners … we just find ways to win.”

The clean sheet once again went to Shorewood keeper Ivan Gendiev as the Stormrays finished out their three-game run at districts without allowing a goal.

Starved for opportunities to utilize their height against a ground-dominant Stormrays defense, the Bearcats had to settle for tough looks on a slippery surface and managed four shots on goal total.

Shorewood played Monroe perfectly in a game Monroe coach Korey Hope described as a “freebie” because of the lack of an eliminated party. Hope believes opportunities like this can only build programs up.

“We want games against quality opponents,” Hope said. “Playing Shorewood makes us better, and I hope we can do the same for them so Wesco can do well in state and win some games.”

But after the final whistle, you would think the Bearcats had just been eliminated, given the raw emotion. After all, they had just lost their first game since late March. It was an unfamiliar feeling.

Players hugged each other while Gaspar and a few Bearcats were visibly emotional as they returned to the bench.

“I mean, senior year, you know? We haven’t been to the finals in a long time, so this really meant a lot to us,” Gaspar said. “We’re not out, so we just move on from this loss and go onto the biggest tournament. We focus on that.”

The Bearcats and Stormrays will both have a chance to make some more memories out of their exceptional seasons when the state tournament kicks off May 22-23.