Vikings beat La Conner and MVC, fall to Friday Harbor

September 29, 2022 1:30 am
Contributed photo by Corey Wiscomb Woverines attempt a goal. Corey Wiscomb photo From the corner kick Diego Lago floats high attempting to make a play on the ball while senior Pedro Guerra Banderas meets the trajectory of the ball with an aimed header at the FH goal.
Contributed photo by Corey Wiscomb Woverines attempt a goal. Corey Wiscomb photo From the corner kick Diego Lago floats high attempting to make a play on the ball while senior Pedro Guerra Banderas meets the trajectory of the ball with an aimed header at the FH goal.

by Jefferson Freeman

Orcas High School Student

After a dominating win over Sound Christian, the Vikings soccer team looked to kick off its inter-league schedule.

Road trips to both La Conner and Mount Vernon would show the Vikings a lot about the upcoming season. La Conner had proved to be a challenging task last time the Vikings visited as a late comeback was required for them to escape with a win. La Conner entered the game with the same plan: don’t allow a goal.

In all fairness their strategy worked, holding the Vikings to just one goal via open play, a number the La Conner managed to match. However, the Vikings found a way. Early in the game Orcas got a free kick that instead of setting up, senior captain Tommy Anderson-Cleveland made a heads-up play to play a quick pass to co-Captain Diego Lago running behind the line. Lago successfully beat the keeper and placed the ball in a waiting net.

With a lead of only 1-0 Orcas needed to extend it to get comfortable and that’s exactly what they got when a brilliantly taken corner from Sam Sutton found Lago soaring through the box to knock home a header, giving the Vikings a 2-0 lead. That would be the score taken into the half. Battle was not done there, as there remained 40 minutes of the game to be played. About halfway through the second half, their efforts were rewarded as a free kick was given and Anderson-Cleveland got the opportunity. It was far from wasted as he found the top of the net, far out from the keeper’s reach to take a 3-0 advantage. With less than 10 minutes remaining the Vikings broke the open play drought as an end-line cross from Andrew Garcia found Anderson-Cleveland, who added on to an already impressive day. La Conner managed to get one back on a trivial no-call from officials but it would prove far from enough as the Vikings returned home victorious by the score of 4-1.

A road visit to Mount Vernon Christian was a game that had been a struggle last season, with the Vikings needing penalty kicks to win after regulation ended 0-0. This game would be in a similar fashion. Offensively the Vikings were able to push back the Hurricane defense but unable to get the final ball in. MVC was able to take advantage and pushed back with quick counterattacks to catch the Vikings sleeping, alas both squads failed to complete the offensive goal, and both defensive lines held strong. The first half would see more fouls than shots on target.

Going to the half both teams knew someone would crack, the only question was who. Both teams came out of the half looking for the winner. The fight continued as both teams drew nearer and nearer. Sutton found a ball through to Kevin Ibarra who for the first time in the match found the back of the net. The Vikings held strong on the back line keeping the scoreline clean and taking home a 1-0 victory.

The Vikings squared off against the Friday Harbor Wolverines boys soccer team on Orcas on Sept. 20.

“Orcas is a long-time island rival and a team we always look forward to playing. They are a strong program that plays a great style of soccer,” said Friday Harbor coach Brett Paul. “Last season, Orcas beat us in the semi-finals in the final 4 state tournaments before moving on to win the state championship last November which definitely added fuel to our team’s intensity and focus in practice leading up to this match.”

It was a nail-biting game between the evenly matched teams. Both the Wolverines and Vikings had momentum at different points throughout the two halves.

“Our goalie, Luke Totten had three or four crucial saves throughout regulation time keeping the score 0-0 at the end of the second half, which led us to our overtime series,” Paul said, explaining that overtime consists of two five-minute halves and a “golden goal” (one goal ends the game).

Two minutes into overtime, Friday Harbor’s Alden Carli won the ball from Orcas at the top of Orcas’s 18-yard box and played a through ball to Mateo Zappelli. Zappelli broke free of Orcas’s center-backLago and shot from the end-line across the mouth of the goal. The ball went over, just out of reach of the Vikings goalie, and into the far side of the net, ending the game 1-0.

Friday Harbor will play Orcas again, this time on San Juan, on Tuesday, Oct. 11. The Vikings play two important games this upcoming week, visiting Coupeville on Tuesday and then on Friday playing home against Grace Academy.

Heather Spaulding contributed to this story.

Corey Wiscomb photo Orion Meskew was an essential part of the OHS defensive squad.

Corey Wiscomb photo Orion Meskew was an essential part of the OHS defensive squad.

Corey Wiscomb photo Freshman Joaquin Shanks Morales battles for position. The freshman has proved himself as a dependable role player for the Vikings. Morales had a fabulous shot on goal in the overtime period that was barely stopped by the Friday Harbor Keeper.

Corey Wiscomb photo Freshman Joaquin Shanks Morales battles for position. The freshman has proved himself as a dependable role player for the Vikings. Morales had a fabulous shot on goal in the overtime period that was barely stopped by the Friday Harbor Keeper.