Chiefs soccer rallies for home victory

MOSES LAKE - A young soccer squad working toward building an identity took an early hit last night and were expected to answer with a counter punch.

The Moses Lake Chiefs didn't simply answer that challenge, they announced loud and clear there would be no problem doing so.

Hit by an Ellensburg goal off of an indirect kick halfway through the first half the Chiefs got their bearings at halftime and would rally for a convincing 3-1 win at Lions Field.

Adolfo Cortez scored Moses Lake's (1-0-1) first two goals and then Stephen Musa cemented the victory in the waning minutes.

Also it didn't hurt to have the solid goalkeeping of Luis Villa to help keep the Chiefs in the match.

"Luis was huge and he always is," Moses Lake head coach Bill Bertram said.  "He came up last year to the varsity team and was a reserve goalie and made his minutes count."

Villa made one of his five saves late in the first half on an Ellensburg breakaway to keep the Chiefs in the hunt and down only 1-0 at the intermission.

Moses Lake had a few chances of their own to get on the board in the first half but not enough for Bertram's liking.

"We wanted to have 20 shots on goal today but we didn't come out shooting the way I'd like us to," Bertram said. "We had a heart-to-heart at halftime and we told them to start shooting it from anywhere and using the rockets we have."

The Chiefs had nine shots on goal in the second half and were denied even more scores by the post and some last minute Bulldogs' scrambling.

It was quite an improvement in shot numbers - compared to five in the first 40 minutes - and aggression that was more than evident.

Cortez' goals, which came in the match's 50th and 65th minutes each came from a good 30 yards out.

"The thing is that there was traffic in front so Adolfo beats a couple guys they then crowd around and he lets it go," Bertram said. "They look like that are going out and they bend in. The goalie doesn't figure it out at first but you'd think after the first one he would have."

Cortez then fend the speedy Musa for the third goal in the 73rd minute. Musa's goal was fitting considering he consistently threatened the Bulldogs' backline.