MONTESANO — Monopolizing time of possession, Aberdeen handily completed a non-league sweep of Grays Harbor boys soccer foes.
Miguel Torres registered a hat trick as the Bobcats blanked Montesano, 4-0, on Saturday, March 25, at Rottle Field.
The Bobcats will enter Evergreen 2A Conference play Tuesday with a 3-1 record. Their non-league victories have come at the expense of Harbor rivals Hoquiam, Montesano and Elma.
Considering they were outshot 22-3, Montesano (0-4-2) did well to keep the score respectable. Such Bulldog defenders as Eric Blanchard, Kenneth Moua, Michael Malpass and Riccardo Marangon did a good job of protecting the box, but the Bobcats kept the ball in Monte territory for the vast majority of the contest.
“We have pretty good touch,” AHS coach Larry Fleming acknowledged, “so it’s hard to stay with us for 80 minutes just chasing.”
In Fleming’s view, Aberdeen’s passing improved as the match progressed. He also credited his team with improved communication skills in this contest.
As Montesano coach Rick Denholm conceded, all three of Aberdeen’s three first-half goals came on well-executed plays.
Cesar Corona opened the scoring in the eighth minute. On a run up the right side, Corona launched a mid-range shot toward the right corner. Goalkeeper Waymn Thoemmes dove to get a hand on the ball, but it deflected off the right post and into the net.
Torres took an excellent pass from Corona to knock home about a 10-yard shot in the 32nd minute.
Seconds before the end of the first half, Torres headed in a long free kick from Tony Oropeza to make it 3-0.
Thoemmes temporarily denied Torres a hat trick by tipping his breakaway shot over the top of the net in the 62nd minute.
Two minutes later, however, Torres outbattled a Montesano defender for a free ball, maneuvered past Thoemmes and essentially walked the ball into the net.
Denholm said a defensive adjustment at halftime helped slow the AHS scoring output. But the Bulldogs seldom were able to put multiple passes together on the rare occasions they gained possession.
“I thought we did a better job defending the middle in the second half,” the Montesano coach said. “But, at the same time, we gave up possession way too quick.”
Monte’s best scoring chance by far came in the 15th minute following an Aberdeen foul just outside the penalty area.
Luis Muro’s free kick appeared destined for the roof of the goal. Despite being partially screened on the play, however, Bobcat goalkeeper Alexis Garcia-Guzman made a leaping save.
Enrique Cuevas scored the winning goal with eight minutes remaining to give Aberdeen a come-from-behind 4-3 win in the junior varsity contest.
The Bobcats opened league play Tuesday at Tumwater. The Bulldogs hosted Seton Catholic in a non-leaguer the same night.
March 23
Warriors 2, Bulldogs 1
ROCHESTER — A penalty kick in the 70th minute enabled Rochester to nip Montesano in a non-league contest on March 23 at Rochester.
After surrendering a rebound goal in the 15th minute, the Bulldogs tied it about 10 minutes later when Kyle Cox converted a crossing pass from Connor Parkinson.
It remained 1-1 until Rochester cashed in on the PK with about 10 minutes remaining.
The Bulldogs, according to Denholm, had a significant advantage in time of possession.
“They had a few runs on counterattacks, but that was about their only attacks on us,” Denholm said. “As a team, we played well. A missed touch here and there, or it could have been different.”
March 21
Tigers 3, Bulldogs 2
It was hats off for Centralia as the Tigers defeated Montesano 3-2 in a non-league match at Jack Rottle Field on Tuesday, March 21.
A hat trick from Centralia sophomore forward Mario Silva was all the offense the Tigers would need to edge past the Bulldogs. Silva scored his first just four minutes into the first half and fired home the game-winner four minutes into the second half.
The Bulldogs (0-2-2) got both of their goals from junior Connor Parkinson and had plenty of chances to score late in the game, but couldn’t put home an equalizer.
With less than two minutes left in the contest, Montesano’s Riccardo Marangon chipped the ball over a defender and ran on, one-on-one with the Centralia goalkeeper from about 20 yards out.
Marangon blasted a kick from around 15 yards out and watched it bend back, but sail about a foot over the crossbar leaving the Bulldogs empty in their final scoring chance.
“We had a few guys out with injuries, so at the start of the game a few guys were out of position because they haven’t played (that position) yet,” Denholm said. “We got ourselves in a hole right to start and I think that was more guys just weren’t comfortable where they were at on the field. As the game went on, we got a little more comfortable. We had chances toward the end and just missed a couple good shots.”
Centralia controlled possession for most of the first half and capitalized on its first scoring chance. Silva took one touch and sent in a shot from the top of the box to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute.
In the 22nd minute, the Tigers added another goal when Johnathen Ruff connected on a cross to Silva, who chipped the ball in from about eight yards out.
Montesano got back into the game in the 33rd minute with a goal from Parkinson. The junior ran onto a through ball and fired a shot past the Centralia goalkeeper from 25 yards to make the score 2-1 going into halftime.
Centralia peppered Monte goalkeeper Michael Malpass early in the second half and Silva was able to place a ball just out of Malpass’ reach in the 44th minute.
Parkinson cut the margin back to one in the 52nd minute on a shot from 12 yards out. Parkinson lost the ball near the top of the box, but battled and got it back, dribbled on and beat the goalkeeper with a left-footed shot into the bottom corner of the net.
The Bulldogs chances to score inside 10 minutes left included a couple of empty crosses and ball bent into the corner of the net by Ben Lopez that was just tapped away by the keeper.
The Tigers looked to have scored an insurance goal when Ruff chipped in a cross, but it was ruled that Ruff was offside.
Denholm cited Malpass, who had not played in goal since his time on a U12 team, for his work as goalkeeper in for the injured Waymn Thoemmes.
