Alysha Overland's overtime goal ends Wenatchee's upset bid

MOSES LAKE - For just over 65 minutes, it looked like Wenatchee would pull off the upset.

The Panthers had been nursing a 1-0 lead since the 20 minute mark of the first half after Baylee Fontaine's free kick floated over the outstretched arms of Moses Lake goalkeeper Jeanette Alvarado.

But with 13 minutes to go in regulation, midfielder Stephanie Overland tracked down a through ball and beat Wenatchee goalkeeper - and Portland State commit - Ashton Blanksma for Moses Lake's first goal to even up the match.

"Whenever we're behind like that and anyone does anything good like that our motivation just keeps going," Overland said. "It just jumped from one girl to another. We just kind of connect like that so I was so excited to get us on the board and get our momentum going."

Moses Lake (6-0, 8-1-1) took that motivation into overtime. Both teams remained deadlocked after the first overtime period and looked to be headed toward a shootout as time ticked away in the second extra period before forward Alysha Overland scored past Blanksma with just seconds remaining, giving the Chiefs a dramatic 2-1 win.

When the ball nestled into the back of the net the players on the field and those on the sideline erupted in joy and rushed the field to celebrate.

"One of the best feelings ever," head coach Ric Char said. "You win in the last, I don't know, probably six and a half seconds or whatever that's still left on the game clock ... It ranks up there anytime you can get the coach and our assistant coaches jumping onto the field like that it's great, it's one of the best ever."

For Alysha, there was some redemption after she had struggled to score past Blanksma for the entirety of the match. The senior had several chances that were turned back by the Panther keeper.

"Everybody always says you're never going to make it unless you keep taking your shots so I just kept shooting," Alysha said. "I thought eventually one of them was going to go in."

The win keeps Moses Lake in first place and its Columbia Basin Big Nine record unblemished.

Entering the match, the Chiefs had outscored their CBBN opponents 28-3. But without several key players due to injury, Moses Lake received a welcomed test from a hungry Wenatchee squad.

"Any time you can go through the wire and play tough with these teams, these girls need to know that it's not going to be a cake walk," Char said. "Big Nine's a tough league and we've got that bull's-eye on our backs because we went undefeated last year and won the league championship, but today's a new year and we've got to think like champions and play every game like a championship game."

Moses Lake will begin its second run through the CBBN Thursday on the road against Eisenhower.

But for now, the Chiefs will bask in a hard-fought win against a worth opponent.

"I probably looked like an idiot because I was jumping like crazy," Stephanie said. "I was so excited ... I've never felt so excited. That was one of the most exciting wins."