Moses Lake pulls off 3-0 win over Walla Walla
Corbin Earl throws the ball in against Walla Walla on Tuesday. The Chiefs beat the Blue Devils 3-0 in regulation.<br>Pam Robel/Columbia Basin Herald
MOSES LAKE — A scanty crowd trickled into Lions Field on Tuesday to watch the Chiefs take on Walla Walla in what would become a scrappy soccer match.
The Blue Devils won the toss and started out looking a little lost on the pitch, with an offside call after a mere minute and a half had passed. Shortly thereafter, Walla Walla was not able to convert on a corner kick and had to settle into a few minutes of up and down soccer.
Moses Lake's Domingo Valenzuela found the back of the net in traffic at 32:30 and it was just the beginning.
However, after that first goal it was apparent that the few fans would have to settle in for a while and watch the back and forth, throw in play for a while before a rhythm for the game could be found.
Walla Walla continued to be offsides for a number of possessions during the game and it is a testament to the control and domination of the Moses Lake mid-field by Miguel Flores, Roberto Cruz and Jose Ramirez. "Those guys owned the mid-field today," said coach Bill Bertram.
Offsides continued to be a problem for Walla Walla for the rest of the game and the frustration was evident in the shouts from the Blue Devils players.
At halftime the score remained 1-0.
The first score of the second half came at 51:26 but was waved off by the referee. There was some confusion at the net that caused the wave-off.
Three minutes later the Chiefs keeper, Joel Quevedo, saved a Walla Walla shot on goal. Quevedo's save would be the end to Walla Walla's hopes to come back in the game.
Domingo Valenzuela had a spectacular header for a goal at 69:50 and there was no looking back.
The final score of the game came in the 77th minute of the match when Corbin Earl found Jacob Bruce to score.
"This wasn't the best match but it showed the spirit of Chiefs soccer this year," coach Bertram said.
Along with the excellent mid-field and goal keeping, Scott Courtright played outstanding defense for the Chiefs.
Moses Lake had 14 shots on goal and Joel Quevedo had six keeper saves.
"This makes two wins, that's a streak," said coach Bertram with a smile after the game was over.