Chace Carlson, a player on the Mount Si varsity boys’ soccer team, assisted his Eastside FC BU16 soccer team for a win at the Washington State Challenge Cup on March 7.

Eastside defeated the Columbia Timbers 2-1 in overtime. Carlson had the assist on the winning goal. The Timbers, from Clark County in southwest Washington, had not lost a game since last summer, going undefeated in the fall league.

The head coach of the team, Mike Williams, was thrilled with the outcome. “Super excited”, he said.

The Challenge Cup tournament consisted of seven games over seven weeks. Eastside went undefeated in the tournament and allowed just three goals. In the fourth game, an elimination win or out round, Carlson scored the game’s lone goal on a breakaway run up the middle of the field to keep Eastside in the tournament, defeating a team from Des Moines. Williams, pointing out that Carlson has played multiple positions, was pleased with how the Mount Si sophomore has performed this season. “He’s a great player for the team,” Williams said.

Eastside also won the Challenge Cup last year, again winning in overtime, making the 2010 win an unusual repeat win. Carlson and his Eastside FC teammates will participate in the Far West Regional tournament June 16-20 in Medford, Oregon.

In the past year, Eastside also won the Nike Crossfire Challenge tournament and were finalists in the Starfire Labor Day Cup and Puma Pacific Challenge Tournaments.

Williams added that his players, while they have been excellent on the field, have also been that way off it. “These boys are a great representation of our youth,” the coach said.

Eastside FC practices and plays their home games at the new turf fields in Preston. The team holds annual try-outs for next year’s boy teams, ages 14-18, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 12-14. Girls teams, ages 14-18, tryouts are March 19-21. Register at www.eastsidefc.org.

Tryout times for younger boys and girls will be posted later.