Penalty kicks carry Quincy over Lakeside on the pitch

QUINCY — Goalkeeper Aylen Garcia stopped two penalty kicks to give the Quincy High School girls soccer team a win over Lakeside High School of Nine Mile Falls, Idaho, on Saturday afternoon. 

The game ended regulation in a 0-0 tie, and as a non-league game the coaches could’ve decided to end it that way. But they opted to add a round of penalty kicks. Quincy coach Jesse Villalobos said the penalty kick round will be mandatory during the upcoming league seasons, and both coaches wanted their players to have some experience with it.  

“I think it’s a good opportunity to get that in-game feel,” he said. “I know that, come league games, if we draw 0-0 (in regulation) and draw in two overtimes, then we head to PKs to decide where the points go. We felt it was a great opportunity for both sides.” 

Penalty kicks pit a player and the goalie one-on-one. Garcia stopped the last two Lakeside penalty kicks, while Michele Gramajo, Hailey Courtade, Lizbeth Diaz and Arlene Bolanos got their kicks from the Lakeside goalkeeper. 

“It’s that actual in-game feel,” Villalobos said. “It’s probably a good idea to have (experience), having already been through that, before we actually get into the games that matter.” 

Lakeside pushed the action into Quincy’s end of the field early in the game — a sign, Villalobos told his players after the game, that the Jacks came out a little sluggish. The lack of scoring was also a sign of good goalkeeping, he said.  

“I think both sides had two solid goalkeepers,” Villalobos said. “Normally, those type of chances created in other games, you’d expect a goal to go in. But we’re really confident behind Aylen.”  

The Jacks overcame the slow start, however. Quincy got the ball down low, but a couple of shots went wide, and a couple others were stopped by the Lakeside goalkeeper. Lakeside also had some chances at the goal, but the combination of a few shots going wide and Garcia’s play kept the game scoreless.  

“We fought,” Villalobos said. “We did a really good job of keeping the ball out of the net, and the couple of chances they did create, our keeper stood tall. She was really good for us today.” 

Central Washington Athletic Conference play starts Tuesday, and Villalobos said he took advantage of the non-league game test different lineups. 

“We came in knowing it’s our last non-league game, so we experimented with some things, and we made sure some girls had some (game) minutes. Because next work the real work starts.” 

The Jacks open CWAC play against Grandview on Tuesday at Grandview. Game time is 6 p.m. 

    Quincy’s Gabriela Lopez (18) takes the ball from a Lakeside player in Saturday’s win.
  

    Crystal Vargas (9) pushes the ball upfield against the Lakeside defense.
  

    Lizbeth Diaz (16), Quincy, works to keep the ball in play against Lakeside Saturday.
  

    Crystal Vargas (9) works the ball through the Lakeside defense in Quincy’s win Saturday.