Medical Lake soccer stymied on scoreboard in WV loss

By PAUL DELANEY

Staff Reporter

If effort counted for any points in the standings, Medical Lake's girls' soccer team might at least find themselves in the middle of the pack.

But it's goals that lead to wins and they continue to be very hard to come by during this Great Northern League season where the Cardinals find themselves 1-4 and 2-6 overall prior to games this week.

Medical Lake was at league co-leading Pullman this past Tuesday to conclude the first half of the GNL season and visit the other top team, East Valley in a 4 p.m. match this Thursday for the return engagements.

The Cards come off a single game last week, losing 2-0 to West Valley in which they played the Eagles scoreless through the first 40 minutes. Courtney Hossfeld broke the deadlock with a goal in the 54th minute and Torrey Finn sealed it with her late goal in the 77th minute.

“Overall it was the best game we played this year,” head coach Zane Higgins said. “West Valley is a very good team. All I ask is that we come out and compete with these teams and I think we did that.”

Higgins was pleased with the fact that his injury-plagued team, “kept it close and gave ourselves a chance.”

Medical Lake played this game without Stephanie Kent who was out with a concussion suffered in the Cheney game. And the Cards will most likely finish the season without Sam Kelly.

“We've been playing a little more defensive-minded against some of the better teams in the league,” Higgins said. “We kind of pushed forward a little bit more against them and we were creating chances.”

The Cardinals had some opportunities to put the ball in the net and just missed on a couple as they were outshot 18-9 in the contest.

Higgins once again singled out the work of senior Natalie Pendell in goal. “Natalie had a great game in goal,” he said. The senior recorded 11 saves. “She's looking pretty good right now.”

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].