Mavs fall short at home

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (4-4) fell to the Wenatchee Panthers 4-0 on Friday at home.  

“Just a slow start, which is what killed us,” Head Coach Miguel Segura said. “Then just like the little mistakes, these guys capitalized on the mistakes, which is part of the game.”  

The Panthers did most of their damage in the first half, scoring three goals in relatively swift fashion. They were successful in pushing the ball downfield and keeping the Mavs defense on their heels. By halftime, it was 3-0.  

In the second half, Moses Lake managed to control the ball more and put pressure on Wenatchee to stop them. On a few occasions, the Mavericks had a couple shots on goal but were ultimately unsuccessful. Wenatchee increased its lead late in the same half to make it 4-0. From there, Wenatchee held the lead until time ran out and sealed the win.  

“We just need to make sure we come out with the momentum we came second half to be able to take away those (shots),” Segura said.  

Despite the loss, the Mavericks were able to take away some positives from the game. Dalton Freidig put in a shift as goalkeeper. Aside from the goals scored by Wenatchee, Freidig made several saves and blocked multiple attempts throughout the game, preventing the deficit from getting more out of hand.  

Segura said he rounds out a key role for the Mavericks defense.  

“I can't count how many times he saved us, but yeah, he's a big part of this team that helps us in the back line,” Segura said.  

The Mavericks' next game is at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, at Eisenhower. Segura has expressed a lot of faith in his team in a previous interview. Citing a well-rounded team with 13 seniors on the varsity roster.  

“We have a lot of potential,” he said. “From every single possession, from defense, midfield to attackers, we've got a pretty much well-rounded team where it's not just one overcrowded position.” 

Between Friday and their next game, MLHS will be focused on fine tuning their game to avoid some of the errors they saw against Wenatchee, the coach said. They started strong in the second half, gaining momentum early, something he hopes they can carry forward.  

“Making sure these guys come out with the same momentum as second half and not just get those little mistakes and get (those) mistakes out of their head, that way we can move forward and be able to achieve things,” he said.  

BOX SCORE:  

WTCH: 3-1: 4
MLHS: 0-0: 0

    The Mavs’ Dalton Freidig (0) makes a save after Wenatchee took a shot on goal during their game Friday.
  

    Henry Pena (2) cuts left as a Wenatchee defender comes in during their game Friday.
  

    The Mavericks’ Enrique Landeros (10) boots the ball back into play for his teammates to take a shot on goal against Wenatchee Friday.