The Suns enjoyed a much needed weekend off before we make our assault on the final week of the season and hopefully a deep run into the playoffs.
Here is what happened in the Big Nine this weekend.
Most of the matches had predictable outcomes with the exception of two. The most important one was Kamiakin at Davis. A Pirate victory would give Southridge a fighting chance to earn second place in the league and a guaranteed spot in Regionals. Luck was with us as the Braves conceded a goal in the 11th minute, and goalkeeper Abel Bautista picked up a red card in the 55th. Davis would seal the deal with a goal four minutes from the final whistle. Kamiakin now has to deal with West Valley who is ranked 9th in the state in 3A and has won eight in a row without Bautista manning the pipes.
If we win our last two games and Kamiakin drops one against West Valley or Pasco we'll have the second spot and the chance for a district title.
The other match in question was Walla Walla at Ike. Ike picked up the 2-1 win and dropped Walla Walla into the final playoff spot.
The only other surprise of the day was that Pasco could only muster one goal against Kennewick, but it was enough for a 1-0 victory. Pasco stays unbeaten and ranked 1st in the state. The Lions dropped their fourth league match in a row (fifth overall) and currently sit in the fifth spot for playoff seeding.
Sunnyside beat Eastmont in a shootout, and West Valley won 5-0 against Hanford. Senior Junior Ayala scored two goals to bring his season tally to an incredible 22.
Richland is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs with a 3-1 loss to Moses Lake. The Chiefs moved up to the seventh playoff spot.
This is how the playoff seeding works. At the end of the regular season the 3A teams drop out of the standings and the top eight 4A teams play districts.
Number One V Number Two. Winner is District Champion and number one seed to regionals. Loser of this game plays for second or third seed to regionals.
Number Three V Number Eight. Loser out. Winner plays loser of the district championship with the winner going to regionals as the number two seed and the loser number three.
Number Four V Number Seven. Loser Out. Winner plays one more game for final seed to regionals.
Number Five V Number Six. Loser Out. Winner plays winner of four v seven with loser out and winner number four seed to regionals.
Apr 27, 2009
Apr 22, 2009
Streak Ended
Last night our incredible nine game win streak came to an end. Our school record of 560 minutes without conceding a goal also came to an end. It was an impressive run that covered parts of seven consecutive games. This was a total team effort and every player deserves the praise.
The game was very exciting to watch with both teams getting good chances in the first half. Both goal keepers made impressive saves to keep their teams in the game. Southridge keeper Brandon Hale made a diving save off a shot from one of the leagues most dangerous players, then 10 minutes later he stopped a point blank shot that had goal written all over it. Hale would finish with 10 saves on the night. Jarad Brisbin had a goal scoring chance cleared off the line by Kamiakin's Evan Johnson, and Adolfo Garcia sent a dangerous Jarad Brisbin cross over the top of the cross bar.
In the second half there were four minutes gone win Kamiakin earned a free kick from 25 yards out. It was Senior Captain Gavin Richter who stepped to the ball brimming with confidence after scoring off a kick from the exact same spot in their last game against Hanford. The ball was struck sweetly over the top of Hales perfectly positioned wall, then dropped several feet to find the back of the net. It was the first league game that the Suns had been behind since the opening week against Pasco on March 14th. A concern of the coaching staff was was after not trailing in nine games and over five weeks, how would the team handle this situation? The boy's showed their resilience and didn't drop their heads as they continued to battle Kamiakin. Brisbin decided to show his own quality on a free kick that was over 35 yards out. He struck a powerful ball that curled around the wall and required a diving save from Abel Bautista which he turned away for a corner kick. With 19 minutes left in the game Senior Captain Tanner Crass was forced to abandon his defensive duties as he was called on to become the third forward the Suns needed to increase the pressure on the oppositions defense. It was with six minutes in the game that Crass almost became the hero, he struck a brilliant left footed volley that required all of Bautista's skill to force the ball over the cross bar and out of his goal earning the Suns fifth corner of the night.
The game unfortunately ended 1-0 as Kamiakin took over sole possession of second place, and sent Southridge to third. The boy's played with a ton of heart and left everything on the field. It was a well deserved win for Kamiakin and a lesson learned for Southridge. We are all proud of the way the team played and look forward to our last two games of the season against Davis and West Valley.
A special thanks to all those fans who attended the game. It was the largest turnout in the history of the program and the players, coaches, and parents appreciated the support that was shown. The players feed of the energy that's created and they wanted to win the game for the fans as much as for themselves. Please continue to show your support as we are guaranteed a home playoff game and nothing would be better than to have this kind of support during the postseason. Thanks again.
The game was very exciting to watch with both teams getting good chances in the first half. Both goal keepers made impressive saves to keep their teams in the game. Southridge keeper Brandon Hale made a diving save off a shot from one of the leagues most dangerous players, then 10 minutes later he stopped a point blank shot that had goal written all over it. Hale would finish with 10 saves on the night. Jarad Brisbin had a goal scoring chance cleared off the line by Kamiakin's Evan Johnson, and Adolfo Garcia sent a dangerous Jarad Brisbin cross over the top of the cross bar.
In the second half there were four minutes gone win Kamiakin earned a free kick from 25 yards out. It was Senior Captain Gavin Richter who stepped to the ball brimming with confidence after scoring off a kick from the exact same spot in their last game against Hanford. The ball was struck sweetly over the top of Hales perfectly positioned wall, then dropped several feet to find the back of the net. It was the first league game that the Suns had been behind since the opening week against Pasco on March 14th. A concern of the coaching staff was was after not trailing in nine games and over five weeks, how would the team handle this situation? The boy's showed their resilience and didn't drop their heads as they continued to battle Kamiakin. Brisbin decided to show his own quality on a free kick that was over 35 yards out. He struck a powerful ball that curled around the wall and required a diving save from Abel Bautista which he turned away for a corner kick. With 19 minutes left in the game Senior Captain Tanner Crass was forced to abandon his defensive duties as he was called on to become the third forward the Suns needed to increase the pressure on the oppositions defense. It was with six minutes in the game that Crass almost became the hero, he struck a brilliant left footed volley that required all of Bautista's skill to force the ball over the cross bar and out of his goal earning the Suns fifth corner of the night.
The game unfortunately ended 1-0 as Kamiakin took over sole possession of second place, and sent Southridge to third. The boy's played with a ton of heart and left everything on the field. It was a well deserved win for Kamiakin and a lesson learned for Southridge. We are all proud of the way the team played and look forward to our last two games of the season against Davis and West Valley.
A special thanks to all those fans who attended the game. It was the largest turnout in the history of the program and the players, coaches, and parents appreciated the support that was shown. The players feed of the energy that's created and they wanted to win the game for the fans as much as for themselves. Please continue to show your support as we are guaranteed a home playoff game and nothing would be better than to have this kind of support during the postseason. Thanks again.
Apr 20, 2009
For Your Viewing Pleasure
Jake Zoulek sixth goal of the year on Jarad Brisbins ninth assist.
Zach Russel's second goal of the year on Tanner Crass' fourth assist.
Zoulek's seventh goal on Brisbin's 10th assist.
Jarad Brisbin's eight goal of the year on Jake Zoulek's third assist.
Jake Zoulek's eighth goal of the season.
Nine In A Row
On Saturday the Suns played the Hanford Falcons and were looking to win their ninth league match in a row and their 10th out of 11 overall.
The game was potentially problematic with Southridge coming off a huge win over Kennewick and with Tuesday's upcoming league tie with Kamiakin, the Suns ran the risk of overlooking Hanford. The Falcons upset bid over Kamiakin fell just short in a shootout loss in their previous game.
The goal for the team was to come out, score quick and often. We got the first part right in the third minute Jake Zoulek provided a wonderful through ball for Jarad Brisbin to tally his eighth goal of the season. The rest of the half saw some good opportunities but unfortuantley none were finished. At halftime the coaches told the boy's not to be satisfied with the way they were playing, and not to let Hanford hang around. They have enough dangerous players that the longer you let them hang around the worse things can get for you.
The boys took the message to heart and two minutes into the second half Adolfo Garcia hit a hard shot that was deflected by a defender and Jake Zoulek cracked a shot from close range that was too hot for the keeper to handle and went into the roof of the net.
The game finished with those two goals and another victory for Southridge.
Next up the Suns take on their biggest rival Kamiakin. This game is huge for several reasons. Other than school pride, and bragging rights, currently both teams have one loss in league and the winner of this game will have second place to themselves, and the inside track to the district championship match against likely League Champion Pasco. In the eleven year history of the rivalry the two teams have never met each other this late in the season with both teams as high as they are in the league table. Also the Suns currently hold the City Of Kennewick Trophy and can maintain ownership for an unprecedented two years in a row.
A lot is at stake in this game, please get as many people to the match as possible. The team was encouraged by the large fan turnout against Kennewick and fed off the atmosphere that was created. We need to play our best game of the year tomorrow and your support will help!
The game was potentially problematic with Southridge coming off a huge win over Kennewick and with Tuesday's upcoming league tie with Kamiakin, the Suns ran the risk of overlooking Hanford. The Falcons upset bid over Kamiakin fell just short in a shootout loss in their previous game.
The goal for the team was to come out, score quick and often. We got the first part right in the third minute Jake Zoulek provided a wonderful through ball for Jarad Brisbin to tally his eighth goal of the season. The rest of the half saw some good opportunities but unfortuantley none were finished. At halftime the coaches told the boy's not to be satisfied with the way they were playing, and not to let Hanford hang around. They have enough dangerous players that the longer you let them hang around the worse things can get for you.
The boys took the message to heart and two minutes into the second half Adolfo Garcia hit a hard shot that was deflected by a defender and Jake Zoulek cracked a shot from close range that was too hot for the keeper to handle and went into the roof of the net.
The game finished with those two goals and another victory for Southridge.
Next up the Suns take on their biggest rival Kamiakin. This game is huge for several reasons. Other than school pride, and bragging rights, currently both teams have one loss in league and the winner of this game will have second place to themselves, and the inside track to the district championship match against likely League Champion Pasco. In the eleven year history of the rivalry the two teams have never met each other this late in the season with both teams as high as they are in the league table. Also the Suns currently hold the City Of Kennewick Trophy and can maintain ownership for an unprecedented two years in a row.
A lot is at stake in this game, please get as many people to the match as possible. The team was encouraged by the large fan turnout against Kennewick and fed off the atmosphere that was created. We need to play our best game of the year tomorrow and your support will help!
Apr 17, 2009
Great Win
Last night's game against Kennewick was the best game the Suns have played so far this year. The boys came out ready to play and showed focus and determination throughout the whole game. Since last Saturday's win over Wenatchee the players had been anxiously awaiting their cross town rivals who have been playing their best soccer in years.
We wanted to come out ready to play from the opening whistle and it took just two minutes for Jarad Brisbin to spring Jake Zoulek into open space and the freshmen did well to calmly slot the ball underneath the on rushing keeper. It was just a few minutes later that a free kick was earned just short of the midfield and it was Senior Captain Tanner Crass who sent a beautiful ball into the box. The Kennewick keeper came out to try and gather the ball but Sophomore Zack Russell redirected the ball at the last moment and collected his second goal of the year. Crass collected his fourth assist of the season and his second in two games. The Lions had trouble dealing with the physical play of Southridge and with the referee deciding to award the vast majority of the calls to Kennewick the Suns were doing well to take the 2-0 lead into halftime.
The boy's were excited to have the lead but they weren't satisfied and they knew Kennewick wouldn't give up in the second half. Coach Elfering made a few minor adjustments to the formation and told the team to keep playing hard. It was in the third minute of the second half when the game was put away, and again it was the Brisbin-Zoulek connection that beat the Lions defense. Freshmen Jake Zoulek collected his team tying seventh goal of the season which is good for third best in the League. Junior Captain Jarad Brisbin brought his league leading assist total to nine, which goes along with his seven goals.
Once again the defense played outstanding as they had to deal with Kennewick's in form striker who had scored five goals in just four varsity games played. The defense manhandled the opposing team and Junior Captain Brandon Hale came up with a season high 10 saves to earn his eighth shutout of the year. None of his saves were more important than in the first half when the game was 1-0, a Kennewick winger took a shot from about 25 yards out. With Hale off his line to cut down the angle the player hit a beautiful shot that would have scored on most any keeper in our league. But hale stretched his 6'2" frame and punched the ball over the cross bar for the crucial save.
We as coaches, fans, and parents are extremely proud of the way the team played last night, it was a huge game for the league standings as well as for school pride. This is the brand of Southridge Soccer that we expect to be played game in and game out.
We wanted to come out ready to play from the opening whistle and it took just two minutes for Jarad Brisbin to spring Jake Zoulek into open space and the freshmen did well to calmly slot the ball underneath the on rushing keeper. It was just a few minutes later that a free kick was earned just short of the midfield and it was Senior Captain Tanner Crass who sent a beautiful ball into the box. The Kennewick keeper came out to try and gather the ball but Sophomore Zack Russell redirected the ball at the last moment and collected his second goal of the year. Crass collected his fourth assist of the season and his second in two games. The Lions had trouble dealing with the physical play of Southridge and with the referee deciding to award the vast majority of the calls to Kennewick the Suns were doing well to take the 2-0 lead into halftime.
The boy's were excited to have the lead but they weren't satisfied and they knew Kennewick wouldn't give up in the second half. Coach Elfering made a few minor adjustments to the formation and told the team to keep playing hard. It was in the third minute of the second half when the game was put away, and again it was the Brisbin-Zoulek connection that beat the Lions defense. Freshmen Jake Zoulek collected his team tying seventh goal of the season which is good for third best in the League. Junior Captain Jarad Brisbin brought his league leading assist total to nine, which goes along with his seven goals.
Once again the defense played outstanding as they had to deal with Kennewick's in form striker who had scored five goals in just four varsity games played. The defense manhandled the opposing team and Junior Captain Brandon Hale came up with a season high 10 saves to earn his eighth shutout of the year. None of his saves were more important than in the first half when the game was 1-0, a Kennewick winger took a shot from about 25 yards out. With Hale off his line to cut down the angle the player hit a beautiful shot that would have scored on most any keeper in our league. But hale stretched his 6'2" frame and punched the ball over the cross bar for the crucial save.
We as coaches, fans, and parents are extremely proud of the way the team played last night, it was a huge game for the league standings as well as for school pride. This is the brand of Southridge Soccer that we expect to be played game in and game out.
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