Walla Walla stops Moses Lake
Miles Douglass/Columbia Basin Herald<br> Moses Lake's goalie Mitch Harder looks back at the soccer ball after blocking a shot during the second half of Saturday's 2-1 loss to Walla Walla at Lions Field.
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Chiefs boys soccer team opened their season Saturday afternoon at Lions Field in Moses Lake against the visiting Walla Walla Blue Devils.
After 80 minutes of action in regulation, the Chiefs and the Blue Devils battled to a 1-1 tie and heading into overtime.
Despite playing tough at home, Moses Lake fell 2-1 to Walla Walla in sudden-death overtime.
Moses Lake’s Alex Alcantar put the Chiefs ahead 1-0 in the game’s first minute.
The Chiefs managed to keep the Blue Devils off balance throughout much of the first half before a Walla Walla goal in the 36th minute tied the game 1-1 before the half.
With the game tied in the season opener, neither the Chiefs nor the Blue Devils were able to score in the second half, sending the game to sudden-death overtime.
While Moses Lake scored in the first minute to start the game, Walla Walla scored in the first of sudden-death overtime to end the game.
The Blue Devils managed to find the back of the net in the extra period and Walla Walla left Lions field with a 2-1 victory.
Although the Chiefs fell in overtime to Walla Walla, Moses Lake head Coach Bill Bertram said was proud of his team’s performance Saturday.
“This was their first game (of the season),” he said. “(We’ve) got room to grow.”
While Moses Lake’s season is young, Bertram said he is dedicated to developing his student-athletes.
“We want to build a complete player,” he said. “We spend the first half hour of practice breaking out the books and studying.”