Kickers score first-round win
“We didn’t drown and we didn’t get frostbite,” said soccer coach Alex von Reis Crooks after Monday afternoon’s 3-1 win over Nathan Hale in the first round of the Metro League Soccer Tournament at Seattle’s Memorial Stadium.
“We had thunder, hail, sun, bright sun and a knee-deep layer of fog,” he added. “You can’t beat that stadium for theatrics.”
But the weather didn’t supply the game’s only dramatic elements.
“We were up by two, then we dished up a comeback opportunity and only closed the door in the final minute,” said von Reis Crooks. “It was a very exciting game to watch. Hale is a very good team.
“We had a heck of a time in the first 15 minutes. We misread that turf so badly.
“So (goalie) Eric (Smith) saved us as we were getting acclimated to the turf. He had five saves and four of them were critical. He really showed his stuff tonight. We had to make saves; Hale didn’t, because we couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.”
That changed in the 29th minute when Kris Ley, in what von Reis Crooks estimated was only his first or second touch of the game, had “a nice ripping volley into the back of the net.”
Eight minutes later, Mitka von Reis Crooks “crawled out from under a pile,” as the coach described it and converted a pass from Andreas Lunde for a 2-0 Spartan lead.
“He (Mitka) had a big target on his chest, and was unable to get clear of defenders for most of the night,” said von Reis Crooks.
Hale scored in the 66th minute on a defensive lapse, and the outcome remained in doubt until the 80th minute, when Adam Brenneman scored on a bounce pass from Tristan Traywick, who in turn had taken a throw-in from Mitka von Reis Crooks.
The team plays Seattle Prep this afternoon. A win would assure Bainbridge of a spot in the state tournament and a Friday game for Metro’s #1 seed, while a loss would mean a winner-to-state, loser-out game, also on Friday.
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LAX boys defeat rival Islanders
Joe Picha scored four second-half goals while Scott Burkland and Adam Smith added three goals apiece to pace the boys A lacrosse team to an impressive 16-3 victory over archrival Mercer Island Monday night on the Islanders’ field. Two days earlier, the team dispatched Bellevue 11-4 at home. The twin wins raised the team’s record to 13-0.
David VanderHoek opened the scoring against Mercer Island and Smith quickly followed.
Ross Maloney then put Bainbridge up 3-0 on the slickest goal of the night. His first attempt flew wide, yet Smith caught the ball behind the net and immediately fired back to Maloney.
After a pair of Islander goals, Bainbridge tossed in 11 unanswered scores to take a 14-2 lead early in the fourth period.
In Saturday’s game, preceded by a ceremony honoring previous Bainbridge lacrosse players, the team took control early against second-place Bellevue and coasted to the win.
Smith had three goals and three assists, while Picha, Spencer Evans and Jacob Hayashi all scored twice. Matt Steffen and Sam Cameron had single goals.
Playing perhaps his finest game of the season, goalie Charlie Delius had 15 saves.
The club plays its final home game at 7:30 tonight against Maple Valley. The B club – also undefeated – will open the doubleheader at 5:00 against the Eastside Ravens. All senior lacrosse players will be honored between games.
Bainbridge B 9, Vashon B 2 – Neal Bateman scored five goals as the team ran its season record to 10-0 at Vashon on Friday. John Burns had two goals, while Todd Cohn and Justin Davis added single tallies. Trevor Charles was credited with three assists. Goalie Kevin Wilson had nine saves.
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Fastpitch team is top seed in Metro
Senior Lizzie Greene gave up only a fourth inning hit as she pitched her final home game in Friday’s 8-1 win over Nathan Hale.
Fellow seniors Angie Rapada, Amanda Perna and Chelsea Magraw all had two hits to lead the Spartan attack as Bainbridge ran its season record to 13-5 in Metro, 14-6 overall.
Winners of 13 of their final 14 games, Bainbridge takes the No. 1 seed from the Sound Division into the Metro Tournament, which begins today at Lower Woodland Park in Seattle
Ironically, the team faces either Ingraham or West Seattle, both of whom defeated the Spartans this year.
“We’re anxious to play either one of them, now that we have our whole team here,” said coach Steve Nelson.
Seven of the eight teams advance to the following weekend’s District 2 Tournament, which in turn sends five teams to State.
Nelson was heartened by the performance of sophomore Sara Robinson, his top pitcher, during a weekend tournament. Robinson won three games, two by shutout, and saved a fourth as she was named MVP.
“She’s coming on strong at the right time of year for us,” he said.
