Boys soccer notes: Central Valley closes in on another Greater Spokane League title
Not much has changed since the beginning of the Greater Spokane League boys soccer season in late March.
The skies are still cloudy, the fields are waterlogged and preseason favorite Central Valley is still the team to beat.
The Bears worked overtime last week in more ways than one, winning three matches in five days.
First, they beat Lewis and Clark in a shootout in a game that was postponed because of soggy conditions at Central Valley, then topped Ferris 3-2 in overtime on a last-second goal by Jake Levine to take command of the league race.
A 3-1 win over Rogers sets up the Bears (9-2 overall, 7-0 GSL) with regular season-ending matches this week against Shadle Park and North Central, which have a combined record of 6-19.
With CV a heavy favorite this week, the best match will be at 4 p.m. Friday at Hart Field. If both teams win on Wednesday, LC and Ferris will play not only for second place, but home-field advantage in the first round of regionals on May 3.
The GSL third-place team will open regionals at the Mid-Columbia Conference runner-up, while the fourth- and fifth-place teams will face each other.
“We’re looking forward to our matches this week,” said LC coach Mica Lamb, whose club also played three matches last week. “Last week was mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting.
“I expect my team will be re-energized and properly motivated to play their best soccer this week.”
Things are more clear-cut in the GSL 3A ranks, where NC owns wins over Mt. Spokane and Shadle Park. The Indians need one win – or a loss by Rogers – this week to clinch the league’s top spot at regional as well as a first-round bye.
- East Valley is all but home free in the race for the Great Northern League’s top spot at district. The Knights (10-2, 8-1) are coming off shutout wins over Cheney and Pullman and led the field by two games going into Tuesday’s match against Clarkston.
- Going into Tuesday’s action, Colville, Lakeside and Newport all had two Northeast A League losses. Colville hosts Lakeside on Friday in the biggest remaining match, but Newport can clinch at least a tie for the title by beating Riverside and Deer Park.
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