Six area soccer teams got their first taste of game action this spring, as Centralia hosted a jamboree at Tiger Stadium on Thursday.
Centralia, Tenino, Black Hills, Rochester, W..F West, and Toledo-Winlock United played two 20-minute games each on the Tigers’ home turf, and Ilwaco, Mark Morris, R.A. Long and the Centralia junior varsity squad filled out the 10-team field.
Centralia coach Noel Vazquez was pleased to see so many teams turn out, noting that it benefits everybody to see other teams before the regular season begins on Saturday.
The evening began with Vazquez’s Tigers taking on the Centralia JV team, and even though Adael Martinez scored to give the varsity squad a 1-0 win, he said he wasn’t pleased with the way they were pinned in their half for much of the match.
Centralia did better against R.A. Long in the final match of the day, and the Tigers and Lumberjacks played to a 0-0 draw.
Vazquez said it was good to play against another team, especially one of the better teams from the south.
The JV squad also did well against Tenino, as the two sides played to a scoreless draw. The Beavers had their chances, but their first goal of the day didn’t come until their second game, when Kaiden Lindholm found the back of the net against Ilwaco.
The goal stood as the game-winner in a 1-0 victory.
Tenino coach Trevor Fetbrandt was pleased with how his midfielders and forwards connected throughout both matches.
Black Hills also got a crack at Ilwaco, and the Wolves also had their fair share of chances in the attacking half. Cailen Greiff scored the lone goal of that game, a 1-0 Black Hills win. In the second game, the Wolves played to a scoreless draw against Mark Morris.
Rochester also took on the Monarchs, and though the Warriors were down 1-0 in the final moments of the game, they earned a penalty shot in the final seconds. The Mark Morris goalkeeper saved the penalty shot, however, and then quickly corralled the rebound to draw the final whistle.
In the Warriors next game against Toledo-Winlock United, the Warriors got a last-minute goal of their own, as Jamie Rodriguez Meraz scored the game-winner with less than 60 seconds to play.
Rochester coach Matt Ashton was pleased with the Warriors’ overall play, but noted that they’ll need to improve their spacing as the season gets going. He also said that they’ll need to improve on their first touch when playing on turf.
The W.F. West offense was the only unit to score two goals in one game, as Rafael Mendez and Jeremy helped the Bearcats top Toledo-Winlock United 2-0. W.F. West had the chance to add on, too, but one shot hit the crossbar and a few others sailed just wide.
They didn’t have as much success against R.A. Long, as the Lumberjacks scored a header off a corner kick in the final two minutes to earn a 1-0 win.
W.F. West coach Allen Anderson said that despite the loss, the Bearcats and Lumberjacks were even throughout, and it was good to get minutes against a team that can play “fast.”
Rochester, Centralia, W.F. West, and Toledo-Winlock United all begin play on Saturday, while Tenino and Black Hills will get underway on Tuesday.
