3A STATE: Kickers outlast Mt. Vernon to qualify for final four
Published 12:22 am Saturday, May 21, 2011
Alex Raquer scores the lone goal as Bainbridge makes history.
The Bainbridge boys’ soccer team did something Friday night that no other Spartan boys’ soccer team before them has accomplished – earn a state trophy.
Bainbridge achieved this honor by defeating the Mt. Vernon Bulldogs 1-0 in a 3A state quarterfinal tournament game at Memorial Stadium to make the final four at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood next Friday for the first time in school history.
The Spartans play the defending champions Glacier Peak at 2 p.m. The Grizzlies defeated Lakeside 3-2 Friday.
The only Bainbridge soccer team to earn a trophy was the girls team, who took fourth place in 1981 when Bainbridge was a 4A school.
Alex Raquer scored the only goal of the game in the sixth minute when Connor Winship fired a pass over the Mt. Vernon back line. Somehow the defense lost track of Raquer, who quickly took the ball to the goal and got Bulldog goalkeeper Andrew Whisonant out of position to score.
That was enough for Spartan goalkeeper Nic Miller and defenders Matt Parker, Joe McKenzie, Alex Coplan and Ben Kauffman to control the game and keep another clean sheet. Since the Metro Leagu semifinal game against Ingraham, Bainbridge has not allowed a goal in 305 minutes of play.
