By Mike Maltais
Liberty Bell High School varsity boys’ soccer started its season in dramatic fashion with a come-from-behind 3-2 win over the Jackrabbits at Quincy on March 18, a 4-1 victory over Cashmere two days later, and a 2-1 win over the Wenatchee junior varsity last Saturday.
“It was a good start to the season,” said new coach
Lincoln Post, who noted that the early games were challenging because his team had only a few days of practice on grass before meeting its first opponent.
It was a scrappy game against the Jackrabbits, the coach said, as evidenced by the six yellows cards distributed, three to each team.
Veteran striker Jorge Lara scored twice against Quincy and Charlie Thornton-White kicked the game winner off a Lara assist.
Freshman goalkeeper Mikey Hafsos is getting tested early and showing he’s up to the challenge. Hafsos had five saves against Quincy, including one that spoiled a potential score on a Jackrabbits’ breakaway that sealed the Liberty Bell win.
“The come-from-behind win showed me that this group can rally under pressure and keep playing with tenacity for the whole 90 minutes,” Post said.
Cashmere
Goals by Lara and Leif Portman-Bown, with assists from Nate Hirsch and Thornton-White, combined with eight saves by Hafsos to hand Cashmere a 4-1 loss on March 20.
The Mountain Lions played “solid, smart defense with improved control and team movement,” Post said.
“We have some brand new players who are progressing really quickly primarily because of the coaching and support that they are receiving from their teammates,” Post said.
“One story of interest is the bet between Danny Rodriguez and Meritt Fink. Meritt challenged Danny to join the wrestling team,” Post said. “Danny had never wrestled, and if he agreed to commit to the whole season, Meritt, who has never played soccer, would commit to an entire season of soccer.”
The coach found Fink to be such a quick study that he was a starter against Cashmere.
“We have a strongly committed core group of players, many of whom have played together since they were young in the Methow Youth Soccer Club,” Post said.
Wenatchee C
Rodriguez and Lara had a goal apiece to help defeat Wenatchee’s C squad, 2-1, in action at the Panthers’ pitch last Saturday.
The Mountain Lions have a busy week before spring break. They were scheduled to play the Trojans at Manson in their first league match Tuesday (March 25), and will travel to Oroville on Thursday (March 27) and Moses Lake on Friday (March 28).
