Soccer off to fast start

Published 11:02 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

SNOQUALMIE – The Mount Si Wildcats boys soccer team, going into the opening week of Kingco 3A play this week, is 2-0 after sweeping a pair of nonleague contests last week against Kingco 4A clubs.

In the season opener last Tuesday, the Wildcats fought their tails off for 90 minutes, survived bad calls by referees, fought off great Skyline scoring chances and a late Spartan game-tying penalty kick attempt to score a 1-0 win over the former Kingco 3A rivals from the Plateau.

“Oh, it was difficult. We’ll take that one. These boys worked hard. They were tenacious and went at it and I’ll tell you what, they’ve been working hard all week and the ball bounced our way tonight,” said Mount Si coach Darren Brown, coaching his first boys high- school contest since his successful reign at Westview (Beaverton) High School in Oregon. “It was a little ugly, but they played well.”

The lone goal was scored early in the second half. In the 47th minute, senior forward Evan Lloyd fired a shot into the goal and it gave the Wildcats the 1-0 lead. Lloyd, however, said the goal wasn’t supposed to be his.

“It was kicked out wide to me and I was crossing it into Kyle [Wiley-Fulton] or Gibson [Bardsley] and happened to score in for a goal,” Lloyd said.

Mount Si’s defense held on much of the remainder of the half after Lloyd’s goal. Skyline kept peppering the Wildcats’ new keeper, senior Jeff Lewis, but he stood tall. In the 73rd minute, Spartan midfielder John Wise fired one that deflected off Lewis’ head at the last possible second for a miraculous save.

“That was a scary one,” Lewis said. “That was close.”

Then, in the 77th minute, Mount Si was called for a foul in the penalty area, allowing Skyline senior forward Jonathan Twaddle to attempt a penalty kick. The kick didn’t make it in, however, saving the game from going into overtime. Twaddle missed the shot wide left and the Wildcats were out of danger. After another late flurry of Skyline chances, the game ended and Mount Si escaped.

“It was pretty scary when coach told me to get out from behind the box. I wasn’t really sure what was going on, but I was just staying with the ball, ready to go,” Lewis said.

Mount Si continue run against Woodinville

The Wildcats rolled into Woodinville Friday night and behind two goals from converted midfielder Yosef Yetneberk, took home a 2-1 win against the Falcons.

Mount Si is in the midst of a three-game homestand to open the 2005 Kingco 3A schedule. On Thursday, the Wildcats host Sammamish and on Saturday, Liberty. All games until spring break start at 4 p.m. and are held at the upper field at Snoqualmie Community Park on Snoqualmie Ridge, the same field where the Wildcat girls played last fall.