Knights sweep way into quarters
East Valley will play one last home game.
The Knights, winners of three straight Greater Spokane League championships, added an Eastern Regional title to their collection by blanking Sunnyside, 3-0, in a first-round State 3A tournament playoff game Saturday at Gonzaga Prep.
The Knights advance to the state quarterfinals Saturday, again at Gonzaga Prep.
“The last couple years we’ve lost early in the playoffs,” East Valley coach Jeff Rose said. “This is the first time we’ve reached the state playoffs. I think losing early really helped set us up for this year in a strange way. Getting knocked off early hurts, and I think these guys came into the season determined not to let that happen again.
“Our goal this season wasn’t to win another league title. It was to win a state championship.”
The senior-dominated Knights (12-4) treated Sunnyside like a speed bump on the road to their ultimate goal, firing a half-dozen shots at goalkeeper Joaquin Perez in just the first 15 minutes of play.
Forwards Cole Abramson and Jeremy Jacobs, two of the team’s nine seniors, put East Valley on the board late in the first half.
Abramson headed a high centering pass at midfield onto the foot of an open Jacobs, who sprinted clear of his defender and whipped a low shot past a diving Perez for the 1-0 lead.
“Cole and I have been playing together so long that we really know each other well,” Jacobs said. “He made a great play to get me the ball and I was able to get in and get off a good shot. The keeper but a hand on the ball, actually, but it still went in.”
Being held scoreless for the first 33 minutes, despite dominating play in the Grizzlies’ end, was beginning to make the Knights press, Jacobs said.
“I think once we got on the board we all just settled in and relaxed a little,” he said.
Abramson added a goal of his own early in the second half.
Jordan Selland found sophomore Matt Eatock sprinting down the right side with a crisp pass, and Eatock ripped a high centering pass from the goal line that Perez leaped high in the air to pull down. The keeper was unable to maintain control of the ball, however, and Abramson was in perfect position to punch the loose ball home for a 2-0 lead.
Andrew Mastronardi added the final goal, punching home a long free kick from defender Josh Polello.
Meanwhile, the East Valley defense frustrated the Grizzlies, who managed only eight shots on goal for the game, most coming in the second half. Josh Peck, the Knights All-GSL goalkeeper, needed to make just three saves to record the shutout.
“Our defense just did a great job back there,” Jacobs said. “Jordan Selland was incredible back there. I love that kid – he’s the Energizer Bunny; he just keeps going and going and going.”
For Rose, the success his team has found in this year’s playoffs is especially sweet. The coach will leave East Valley after the season in search of a full-time teaching position.
“I can’t imagine starting over with another group of players somewhere else,” he said. “I don’t want to see this season end, that’s for sure.”
Cheney 4, Pullman 0: The Blackhawks advanced to a first-round State 2A playoff game by blanking Pullman at Gonzaga Prep.
Caton Oyolokor scored 25 minutes into the first half to give Cheney a 1-0 halftime lead and Mitch Weller added a second-half hat trick.
Pullman was held to just two shots on goal and Cheney goalkeeper David Sigley needed to make just one save to earn the shutout.
The Blackhawks will play their first-round state game against Prosser, a 2-1 shootout winner over Ephrata on Saturday, in a playoff contest Tuesday at Cheney.