4/28/16
Centralia 4, WF West 0
(Chehalis, WA) The Tigers had a reason to win this match, it would give them a shot at tying Black Hills for 2nd and Centralia would then get the 2nd seed to the District Tournament. This is big because as the 2nd seed you host a 1st round District game against the #3 seed from the GSHL. The #3 seed travels to the GSHL #2 in the opening round.
The Tigers took care of business with a 3-0 lead at the half and finishing off the shut out with a 4-0 win. The Tigers got help from Tumwater who held off Black Hills for the win creating the 3-3 tie with Centralia. WF West finishes 0-6 but will host Aberdeen on Tuesday in a loser-out play-in game. The winner of that game will then travel to the GSHL 5th place team for a loser-out pigtail game next Thursday. The winner of that game will open District play as the 4th seed at the GSHL #1 seed on Saturday.
Tumwater 2, Black Hills 1
(Tumwater, WA) Coming into this match the Black Hills Wolves knew they needed a win or a Centralia loss to hold on to 2nd place. Neither would happen and they will end up on the road in the opening round of the District tournament next Saturday.
Tumwater jumped out to the early lead in the 8th minute when Freshman sensation Austin Mikesh won the ball off a double team and fired a hard shot to the near post past keeper Ethan Lovett. Lovett and T-Bird keeper Logan Hess were replacements for their starters due to injuries.
Mikesh would be part of the next goal just 3 minutes later on a corner kick. Mikesh lofted high in front of the goal into a pack of players and Tumwater’s Diego Levy got a foot on the ball and flicked it into the net. It was a bang-bang play and not much Lovett could have done to prevent the goal and Tumwater held a 2-0 lead.
Black Hills had a chance to get on the board just before the half when Bekele Dowty broke free and caught Hess in no-man’s land but as he tried to control the ball it gave enough time for the T-Bird defense to rally and for Hess to get back in the box to deny the Wolves and they went to the half with Tumwater holding a 2-0 lead.
In the 2nd half the 2 teams battling in the their final league game and also for the Pioneer Cup got a little chippy. A total of 6 yellow cards were handed out as officials tried to control the physicality. This led to a great opportunity for the Wolves to get on the board when Bekele Dowty was taken down in the box giving the Wolves a penalty kick. Hunter Karsseboom took the PK but push it right missing and Tumwater maintained their 2-0 lead in the 54th.
Bemnet Lester then had another chance to get on the board when he broke free into a 1-on-1 with Hess. As he approached to the left side it looked like he would try to go opposite post but instead fired hard near post and Hess was there to smother it keeping a zero in the Black Hills scoring column. This play would also be named our ProActive Physical Therapy Play of the Game.
Lester finally got Black Hills on the board in the 70th minute when he took a pass from Bekele and fired it in for the goal making it 2-1 with 10-minutes to play. The T-Birds had relied on a strong back line all night and defense led by Adam Warren, Keegan Fields and Caleb Whiteash and they came through again holding on for the win.
The T-Birds finish the year 6-0 in league and 11-4 overall, Black Hills finished 3-3 and 3-12 overall. T-Birds claim their first league Championship since 2012 where they went on to finish 4th at State. Our Tommy Lowe of Greene Realty Players of the Game were for Tumwater Austin Mikesh and for Black Hills Bemnet Lester.
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