Tenino and Eatonville seemed destined for a scoreless tie on Monday, but an Eatonville goal in the final minutes downed the Beavers in a 1-0 loss.
The Cruisers briefly took a 1-0 lead in the 75th minute on a penalty kick, but after a discussion between the refs and coaches, it was determined that the penalty kick was incorrectly awarded.
The goal was taken off the board, and Eatonville didn’t capitalize on the following indirect free kick.
When the Beavers made a final push to try and score a late goal, the Cruisers took advantage in transition. After a through ball got stuck in the long grass, Austen Quirie beat Tenino keeper David Ruedy to the ball, slipping past for the game-winning goal.
That was the only mistake Ruedy made all game, as he tallied 14 saves, including three athletic, diving saves that rival some of the best saves of the season to this point.
While disappointed with the final result, Tenino coach Trevor Fetbrandt was nothing but proud of the effort the Beavers (1-5) showed, noting that it can be tough to stay energized after a few big defeats.
“I let them know how proud I was of them,” Fetbrandt said. “A little bit of growing pains … But they've been so positive, so energetic, and we’re starting to piece things together.”
Fetbrandt was especially pleased with the defensive effort, noting that they followed their plan nearly flawlessly.
“We were lockdown, aggressive, and confident,” Fetbrandt said. “We knew we had a specific technique and style we wanted to play with, that’s why it was 0-0.”
The Beavers are back on the pitch on Wednesday, when they’ll head to Hoquiam.
