4/26/2023
Aberdeen 2, Tumwater 1 (1st OT)
(Tumwater, WA) “We need to keep winning, we need to prove to everyone including ourselves we’re the best team in this league.” That was Aberdeen coach Larry Fleming’s words to us prior to their match at Tumwater where the Bobcats rolled in with a 9-0 league mark and 12-0 on the season. Fleming made it known despite having the league championship and top district seed all wrapped up there would be no resting or let down heading into their final couple of matches.
Tumwater came in in 3rd place and had an outside chance of catching 2nd place WF West but needed to win out against Aberdeen and then Rochester. There is a big difference between 2nd, 3rd and 4th place as the 1st and 2nd place teams get to host opening round district tournament games while 3rd place is on the road in the opening round and 4th place has to play a pigtail play-in game against the GSHL 2A 5th place team to get into the district tournament and then will be on the road to play the GSHL #1 team.
It was Senior night for the T-Birds and has been an up and down season for the T-Birds and regardless of where they finish in the final standings it was important to try and build momentum going into the post season. The T-Birds defense was challenged quite a bit in the 1st half as the Bobcats came out aggressive trying to get a quick score but keeper AJ Heichelbech and defenders Lukas Stuart, Malakai Jenkins and Jacob Kaikkonen denied the Bobcats time and again.
Aberdeen’s strikers never took their foot off the gas pedal and kept coming at the T-Birds defense led by Elmer Torres, Evan Cone, Joe Ambrogiani and Gil Lopez. Lopez would finally break through with a tremendous kick that floated out to the 15 yard line and Lopez came across and booted it into the right side of the net with a laser shot in the 36th minute. That’s where it would stay to the break and at the half it was 1-0 Aberdeen.
As the 2nd half began Tumwater’s offense also picked up and began to challenge the defense of the Bobcats who had only given up 3 goals on the season led by sophomore Gavin Cuoio, Gabe O’Connor and Dylan Stevens. The trio with help from their mids would launch several scoring drives on Bobcats keeper Antonio Granados and his backline of Javier Garcia, Julian Garcia and Colby Mendoza.
The T-birds attacks paid off in the 61st minute when Cuoio knocked in a great passing shot from Dylan Stevens who got the assist and Cuoio got the equalizer and only 4th goal scored against the stingy Bobcat defense. The 1-1 score would hold up to the end of regulation forcing the game into overtime. The overtime rules are a 5 minute sudden death OT and if still tied then flip sides and another 5 min golden goal period. If still even then it goes to penalty kicks.
Aberdeen didn’t want to take their chances with a shoot-out or even a 2nd 5 minute OT they got the game winning in the 83rd minute or 3 minutes into the 1st OT. Carlos Mendoza took a loose ball and tried to fire a shot but it was blocked by a defender but the ball rolled over to Elmer Torres who tip the ball up and punched a shot over the head of Heichelbech who was charging Torres trying to get to the ball before he could get off the shot and just missed.
Aberdeen improves to 10-0 in league play and 13-0 on the season and will wrap up league play with games against Shelton and Centralia. Tumwater drops to 6-5 in league play and 6-7-1 for the season.
Our Thorbeckes MVP’s went to Aberdeen’s Gil Lopez and Tumwater’s Gavin Cuoio.
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