Goalie Bromley helps clinch title in competitive league

When Kari Bromley talks about the brief, fraction of a second two years ago, you can see in her eyes that she’s reliving the moment in slow motion. She doesn’t have to close her eyes to go back in time.

It’s a sub-freezing night at Gonzaga Prep in the first round of the state Class 2A girls soccer tournament. Kicking the soccer ball feels like driving your foot into a giant river rock. Players fight the cold with tights, gloves and anything thermal they can find.

Bromley’s district champion East Valley Knights are battling regular-season Great Northern League champ West Valley for the fifth time that season.

A minute before intermission, the Eagles’ Rylee McConnell rang a shot off the crossbar and into the net for the game’s only goal.

For Bromley, East Valley’s goalkeeper, it’s become the nightmare she keeps replaying.

“I can still see the ball just past my fingertips,” she says. “I can almost reach it.”

It’s a moment she hasn’t had to revisit on the soccer pitch since Sept. 20.

In seven of the nine Great Northern League games the Knights played going into Tuesday’s trip to Clarkston, Bromley posted a shutout, including six in a row to allow East Valley to clinch the regular season championship after a 4-0 victory over Pullman.

“I don’t remember anyone clinching the league title this early in the season,” East Valley coach Gabe Escobar said. “Our league is so competitive that it usually comes down to the last game.”

Clarkston put an end to the win streak, and the shutout streak, Tuesday with a 4-3 win in Clarkston.

The Bantams scored three goals in the first half to take a 3-0 lead, then held off a second-half East Valley comeback attempt.

The Knights finish the regular season with a match against West Valley today at East Valley and Saturday at Cheney in the finale.

Posting six straight shutouts is a big credit to Bromley, but it also is a testament to a very young, and very talented defense.

Bromley is the most experienced player the Knights have on the defensive end as a four-year starter.

“We graduated three very talented seniors from last year, including our sweeper, Hanna Burland,” Escobar said. “I’m starting a sophomore and two freshmen back there in front of Kari. To be honest I didn’t know what to expect when the season started. I never expected we’d be able to hold teams scoreless, and we’ve held a couple teams without a shot.”

Bromley said the group of defenders came together quickly.

“They know what our defense is supposed to play like,” she said. “They know the tradition we’ve set is like.”

And they’ve risen to the challenge.

Bromley scoffed at the idea of a letdown after clinching the league title last week.

“We have a lot of things that we want to accomplish still,” she said. “I remember the way each of the last three seasons ended for us. I remember losing to Clarkston when we weren’t supposed to in districts. I remember how quiet the bus was coming back from Gonzaga Prep after we lost to West Valley. Everyone had to ride the bus home, but that was the quietest bus ride I’ve ever been on. And I remember losing last year sooner than we thought we should.

“This is my last shot at it, and I want to go as deep as we possibly can.”

The goal, Escobar said, is to reach the Final Four of the state playoffs – reach the state Class 2A semifinals.

“That’s what we want – once you get there, anything can happen,” he said. “That’s what I want for my team every year.”

Escobar gets a glint in his eye, though, when he looks forward to the next few years after the way his young defense has come together and his young offense has scored goals.

“I haven’t had to worry about my goalkeeper now for four years,” he said. “We’ve had Kari back there and she’s been everything I could ask for, but next year? For the first time I don’t have anyone that seems ready to step right in and take over. We have a couple potential keepers that we’re working with for next year. But I’m a little scared about it.

“The rest of the team? I’ve been starting my team for next year and the year after that all season long.”