EVERETT
It took 90 minutes and 18 shootout kicks but the Jackson boys soccer team was eventually able to overcome a strong performance by the injury-plagued Cascade Bruins on Tuesday, May 6.
When Jackson goalie Kevin Springer blocked a high shot to the right on the 18th kick, Jackson sealed its 3-2 shootout victory in a loser-out 4A District 1 playoff game at Everett Memorial Stadium.
“It was a battle from the get-go,” said Jackson captain Kevin Luangrath. “We knew we needed to up our game and we did all the way to the last shot. It was definitely a team effort.”
The entire game was a back-and-forth struggle. Jackson’s Tye Hastings scored in the 25th minute off an assist by Luengrath. Less than a minute later, Bruin Gerardo Martinez kicked in a pass from Reid Jones to tie the score.
“We had to change our strategy at halftime,” Jackson coach Brett Norton said. “We had to start a more direct approach and start kicking long balls over their defense.”
That offense seemed to work when Luengrath connected with the net in the 50th minute off a Ben Todd assist. But Cascade’s Reid Jones responded nine minutes later when his header snuck past the goalie.
The game remained tied at 2-2 through both overtimes, during which Cascade lost three players to concussions. Two Bruins collided heads and a few minutes later, another received a split-open eyebrow after being elbowed.
“It’s good (we lost) because we were missing six players and we had three concussions today so we would have been missing nine players the next game,” said Cascade coach Daghan Kesim. “At least we had a fight … we had a close game because if you go to the next game … and they beat us really bad, you don’t want to leave like that.”
After the teams entered the shootout, the battle continued. Both teams made their shots the first two rounds before each missed in the third. Jackson connected in the fourth but Cascade’s shot was blocked. Jackson could have won on the fifth kick but it bounced off the cross bar. Instead, the shootout continued to the ninth round when Springer blocked Mario Gomez’s shot, giving Jackson the 7-6 shootout win and advancing it to the next round of the playoffs.
“I’d like to see Marysville-Pilchuck because we haven’t played them yet this year,” said Norton about their next opponent. “But also I’d like a little revenge on Kamiak.”
The Timberwolves will have to wait for revenge and will instead play Marysville-Pilchuck, who beat the Knights 2-0 on Tuesday. The winner of Thursday’s game at 5:30 p.m. at Shoreline Stadium will advance to state. Jackson has not been in the playoffs since 2003 and this is their first time as a 4A school.
“If we had everyone healthy I think we could have gone far in state again,” said Kesim, who’s team placed third in state last year. “But unfortunately we don’t have everyone healthy.”
Abby Walker writes for The Herald in Everett.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
