Cheney soccer beats Othello

SPOKANE - The Othello Huskies soccer team took an earlier than expected exit from postseason play for the second consecutive year after losing to Cheney in the first round of the state tournament May 15.

"We missed qualifying for the quarter finals two years in a row now,"  coach Bernie Garza said. "We had a great season and then choked at the end.  This time it was our own fault as we shot ourselves in the foot so to speak."

Cheney took a 1-0 lead in the first half of action on a direct kick from 10 yards out that seemed to catch the Huskie defenders off guard.

"Our defense failed to man mark players," Garza said. "They did a trick play in which they passed the ball to a player while another one ran in from behind and took the shot and scored easily ... It was a big time mental mistake."

The lead held up until Othello tied the match with just a few minutes left on the clock in regulation play.

"We traded shots in the entire second half, and at times it looked like they would get a second goal. But Martel (Saucedo) came up time and time again and made big saves," Garza said. "With five minutes left I threw caution into the wind and sent everyone up except  one defender. The move paid off as we got the break we needed."

Jorge Campos was fouled just outside the 18-yard box. He took a direct penalty kick but the Blackhawks keeper made the save and punched it out to the Huskies  Hugo Martinez who volleyed a shot from about 10 yards out to tie the match. 

"After that goal, I was sure we would win," Garza said. "The pressure to tie the game was off and we start ed playing our style of soccer."

But that was all the scoring by Othello and Cheney in regulation play as time expired and the match went to a five minute overtime period.

Neither team scored in the extra period so the match went to a second OT.

"We had two chances to score in the first overtime and nearly made the game winner in the second," Garza said. "But as fate would have it, we made a crucial mistake with a minute to go. Martel miss-hit a goal kick and sent it straight down the center of the field  to a  wide open C. J.  Skilingstad who sent a through ball to Forester Seipp who one touched it for the game winner."

Garza said the play happened so fast his defenders didn't have time to react to the mistake. 

"They were not man marking their guys, so that made it worse," he said. "It was unfortunate to lose in that manner.  We had such a great season going 16-4 and advancing far into the playoffs, but came up short again. It hurts knowing you were so close and having lost in this manner."