Shorewood boys soccer tops Edmonds-Woodway in OT

EDMONDS – When Caleb Butler saw the ball hit the back of the net, at first he was in shock.

Heading in a cross off a corner kick from junior forward Niki Genadiev, the sophomore defender scored the golden goal for Shorewood boys soccer to defeat Edmonds-Woodway 2-1 in overtime.

Butler had scored six goals on junior varsity last season, but he did not anticipate getting on the score sheet this early in his varsity career. He picked a great time to do so.

The shock quickly turned into joy as he sprinted to the right corner flag, jumping in the air and pumping his arms as his teammates mobbed him.

“I was happy I didn’t have to run back on defense,” Butler said. “I was gassed by that point, and the ball (from Genadiev) was so perfect. To see the ball go in the net is just like relief as much as excitement, and then all the adrenaline going to celebrate with my teammates.”

Final: Shorewood wins 2-1 (OT)

With less than 2 min left in the first half of OT, Shorewood D Caleb Butler heads in a cross off a corner kick to secure the win@HeraldNetPreps

— Joe Pohoryles (@Joe_Poho) March 19, 2025

In their first league matchup of the season, the reigning Wesco 3A/2A South Champion Stormrays (3-0-0, 1-0-0 league) picked up a crucial win against the Warriors (1-2-0, 0-1-0), who finished second in the league last season. It’s early in the season calendar, but every point in the standings counts, especially between two league powerhouses.

“Getting this type of win on the first league game, it will give us a lot of confidence going forward,” Genadiev said. “Knowing that we beat Edmonds-Woodway, one of the top teams in our league, and I think we can just use that and feed off it for the future games.”

After a scoreless first half, in which Shorewood controlled the majority of possession but ultimately went back and forth with strong defensive stops from each side, Genadiev broke open the scoring less than three minutes into the second.

Finding an opening with an Edmonds-Woodway defender playing high up, Genadiev rolled down the left side. Fellow forward Julian Shook attracted the attention of two more defenders by holding up in the middle, and with the wind now at the Stormrays’ backs after playing into it during the first half, Genadiev felt confident elevating the ball. He arched it over Warriors keeper Daniel Abraham and into the back of the net to give Shorewood a 1-0 lead.

But with plenty of game left, the Stormrays fell into a defensive holding pattern and allowed the Warriors to take control of the game. They nearly got an equalizer on a corner cross with 32 minutes left, but Shorewood goalie Ivan Genadiev came up with the close-range save.

“What I was disappointed (in) was our inability to keep the ball,” Shorewood coach Shaun Warner said. “I think we panicked. So we did great defensively, I thought, but we just gave them way too many opportunities. Edmonds-Woodway’s got too many good players that they’re going to punish you for that.”

With six minutes remaining, the Warriors finally got their best chance. Senior forward Thomas Robles was brought down in the box, drawing a penalty kick. Senior captain Alex Plumis took the ball and slotted it into the bottom left corner to draw it level with the clock dropping to five minutes and counting.

“I think it’s just about confidence,” Butler said about rebounding from the late equalizer. “And just trying to be confident in our ability. We know how good of a team we are, so just come in like we’re going to win, and believing in it.”

Heading into overtime tied 1-1, Warner urged his team to keep its foot on the gas. With the wind still at their back, the Stormrays needed to be aggressive to win back momentum. He also discussed the importance of executing set pieces, unknowingly foreshadowing the game-winner.

Before the corner kick, Shorewood defender Ian Baxter made a big tackle on Plumis, running back to win the ball and turned it around to ultimately set up the corner.

“His work ethic just came in clutch for us,” Genadiev said.

With execution in focus, Butler simply did his part running into position amid a mass of bodies, ready to put his head on it if it came his way. Tracking Genadiev’s perfect cross into the middle, he did.

“It doesn’t matter if you put three guys, four guys, five guys (on him), he just finds a way to win it,” Warner said. “And that’s exactly what happened. He just stood up to the moment, and was awesome.”