Moses Lake earns 3-3 draw against unbeaten Ferris

MOSES LAKE - Even the staunchest Moses Lake (2-1-1) supporter had to be surprised when the Chiefs led 3-1 against undefeated Ferris with just minutes to play.

Moses Lake head coach Ric Char certainly was.

"I think that caught us off guard too ... I think we were shocked too," he said.

After Ferris (5-0-1) scored in the 11th minute, the Chiefs were able to knock in two girls half goals from seniors Alysha Overland and Emma Deering less than five minutes apart to take a 2-1 lead into intermission.

Overland scored her eighth goal of the season in the 64 minute to open up a 3-1 lead and Moses Lake was 15 minutes away from the upset.

However, Ferris answered with two goals in last five minutes to draw even, 3-3.

The two teams elected to end in a draw, a result the Chiefs could live with but certainly weren't happy about.

"I don't think it should've ended in a tie," Overland said. "I don't really know what happened. I don't know if we just thought we had the win so we didn't think we had to try anymore, if it was just a fluke goal or what. But I definitely think we should've had that win."

Char echoed his star player, but also viewed the late game lapse as a teachable moment for a team that has high aspirations this season.

"We should've closed the game up at 3-1, but lessons learned and it was a good experience for them to figure out that we can't get complacent and we can't get comfortable with a 3-1 lead and we've got to battle until the end. I think the girls learned that today."

The 4:30 p.m. start time was pushed back to 5 p.m. as the junior varsity game ran late. Temperatures neared 90 degrees and there was little shade in the first half of play.

Ferris opened the scoring in the 11th minute when sophomore midfielder Sydney Clements found the back of the net off a cross into the box to give the Saxons a 1-0 lead.

That score would hold up until the 35th minute when Overland - off an assist by junior defender Jessie Loera - shook two defenders and beat goalkeepr Evan Watkins to knot the score at 1-1.

Overland wasn't done in the first half, assisting on Deering's goal in the 38th minute to help Moses Lake a 2-1 lead.

Overland sent a pass across the box that Deering was able to redirect past Watkins.

It was Deering's third goal in as many matches.

"Her confidence is up," Char said. "She's playing great soccer and we're pushing her up into the offense where she's a traditional defender and she's tending to hang back and now we're getting her pushed up with a couple goals. She's getting that confidence and self esteem. She's going to be unstoppable now."

Moses Lake stretched its lead to 3-1 in the 64th minute when Overland was able to beat her defender and fire a shot past Watkins who had come out to challenge her.

Overland's second goal of the match was her eighth goal in the last four matches.

She credited her work in practice to this week long tear.

"Definitely playing the outsides and playing back and just playing controlled ball," Overland said. "I really haven't had that many through balls where I run onto them. It's been mostly playing at my feet and then just finding the open window and shooting it."

Overland's second goal was assisted by junior midfielder Mariah Byington.

The Moses Lake defense held up until the final minutes when Ferris scored two quick goals to salvage the draw.

Despite allowing the lead to slip away, the Chief defenders held the Saxons scoreless for about an hour and allowed the team to rally from the one goal deficit and eventually take a two goal advantage.

"I think our defense played pretty good," senior midfielder Liz McGraw said. "We just need to make sure we're always paying attention. Not let one or two of those slip by otherwise we were playing awesome. We cleared balls well, we passed out of the back well. I think we did really well overall."

At about the 60 minute mark, senior midfielder Stephanie Overland was taken out of the match and didn't return.

"It's a nonleague game, she's battling a hip injury," Char said. "She's been battling it since the start of the season - before the start of the season - so it was just a coach's decision to keep her off and not risk her for Eastmont which is the more important game."