Othello Huskies win one drop two on the pitch

Bob Kirkpatrick/The Sun Tribune - Grandview’s goalie turns back a first half Huskies scoring threat. Othello took the match 3-2 in a sudden death shootout.

by Bob Kirkpatrick Editor
| April 6, 2018 1:00 AM

Othello soccer lost two of three matches on the pitch this past week to fall to 1-2 in CWAC league action. The Huskies were turned back by East Valley on the road Saturday, beat Grandview at home March 29, and lost to Toppenish in Othello March 27.

Red Devils 2

Huskies 1

East Valley struck first on a shot from 30-yards out. The score held up through intermission. Othello leveled it 1-all on a goal from Juan Tapia off a Sergio Mondragon assist. The contest ended in a tie after regulation play and the match went to two overtime periods. Still knotted 1-1, the Huskies entered their third shootout of the season. The Red Devils outshot Othello 5-3 to come away with the win.

“It was a tough match for us,” coach Bernie Garza said. “We played a sluggish first half, but came alive in the second and played much better. We are off for spring break now and will be back at it in Selah Tuesday.”

Othello 3

Grandview 2

The Huskies looked to be in complete control of their tilt with Grandview up 2-0 late on goals from Arvin Arvizu and Juan Tapia. But the Greyhounds capitalized on an Othello mistake with 10 minutes to play to close the gap to 2-1, and then went on to level the match in stoppage time and send the fuss to overtime.

“They got their first goal off a defensive mistake,” coach Bernie Garza said. “The second goal came in the 86th minute. I thought time had expired, but the whistled was blown on what looked to be an apparent offside call on Grandview. But the linesman raised his flag and called the center ref over and told him it was high kick on our part. Grandview scored on a well-placed arching ball just outside the 18-yard box to tie the game at 2-2.”

The teams exchanged shots in the two 5 minute overtime periods, but neither was able to score and the game went to a shootout.

Othello and Greyhound recorded three goals each and the match continued to a sudden death shootout.

Miguel Silva blocked Grandview’s first attempt. Sergio Mondragon then rocked a shot past the Greyhound keeper and Othello walked off the pitch with the 3-2 win.

Toppenish 4

Othello 1

The contest between two of the top teams in the conference was a lopsided affair with Wildcats dominating the Huskies on their home turf. Toppenish jumped up top 1-0 early on a direct kick from the 18-yard box. Othello’s Juan Tapia (Bernie Garza Jr.) got the equalizer minutes later. An Othello own goal made it 2-1 Wildcats at the break. Two Toppenish second half goals put the match out of reach for the Huskies.

“We shot ourselves in the foot and the made us pay for it,” Garza said. “We definitely feel we can beat them next time we play them if we minimize our mistakes.”

Coach Garza was unavailable for comment on the East Valley match. The Huskies are back at it April 10 when they head to Selah to take on the Vikings.