Othello advances to CWAC semifinals with 3-1 victory over Prosser
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin Herald Othello midfielder Victoria Cantu (4) battles Prosser's Haley Clark (13) for possession during Tuesday's Central Washington Athletic Conference play-off match at Husky Stadium. Othello advanced with a 3-1 victory.
OTHELLO — Victoria Cantu scored 55 seconds into the match. Nikki Velazquez scored her 31st and 32nd goals of the season and Jenelle Garza was a rock in net for the Othello Huskies, who took one step closer with a 3-1 victory over Prosser in a loser-out Central Washington Athletic Conference playoff match at Husky Stadium.
The two went to overtime the last time they played, but the Huskies (13-4-1) left nothing to chance on Tuesday, scoring on their first trip down the field. Velazquez put the shot on goal. Prosser goaltender Josie Williams scrambled to make the initial stop, but the ball popped loose and Cantu buried a left-footer to the near post even before the Mustangs (10-7-1) had a chance to settle in.
Garza made one of the best stops of the season at the 25:57 mark when a corner kick skipped free in the box and Prosser pressed to tie the match. The Othello senior stopped a point-blank shot from her knees, diving to her right in spectacular fashion to prevent the score.
“Defensively, we keep building each other up and that's what we did tonight,” said Garza, who finished with 11 saves, none more spectacular than one near the midway point in the first half. “What makes our defense strong is our communication. The offense had pretty good position most of the night and that helped us defensively.”
Velazquez is averaging 1.88 goals a game and despite seeing the double-teams, she managed to get hers with the season on the line. She gave Othello a 2-nil lead with a goal inside the box in the 20th minute, then came free for a follow-up on a loose ball at 33:44 in the second half.
“Every member of our team has a part in the game and we're playing really well as a team right now,” Velazquez said. “Our motto is to always come out with a bang. The first five minutes of game is really important and we came out strong and made a point early.”
It's not like the Mustangs didn't know who the scorer was. They started the match with defender Cheyann Douglas on Velazquez, but the Othello senior proved to be too much for the sophomore. They switched to freshman striker Haley VanWinkle midway through the match, but there's not stopping her when she throws the switch.
“When (Nikki) scored the last goal, she was in the right place at the right time. But she had to come through the double team to get there,” Husky coach Bernie Garza said. “The focus was good. The difference tonight was our keeper, Jenelle. They took some quality shots, but she made some nice saves. She's one of the best keepers in the league.”
Othello will see No. 1-seeded Selah on Thursday. The winner will face the winner of the Ephrata-Ellensburg match for the CWAC championship Nov. 1.