Anytime an undermanned team can hold a defending league champion and potential state title contender to a single score, it’s a triumph for the underdog.
The Cheney High School girls soccer team came close to that achievement on the road against defending Great Northern League champion West Valley, holding the 9-2-1 Eagles to a single goal until late in the game in the Lady Blackhawks 2-0 loss last Thursday. Cheney gave up a goal in the 20th minute on Morgan Williams’ shot, and played the Eagles pretty evenly, at least defensively, until Abby Swanson knocked a ball that had been deflected twice, including a block by Cheney goalkeeper Paige Lewis, into the net in the 78th minute.
“One-zero would’ve looked a whole lot better than 2-0, but they played well,” head coach Nels Radtke said of his team.
Especially given the Lady Blackhawks only fielded 12 players, as several key players were out due to injury, illness and grades. West Valley out shot Cheney 17-2, although Radtke said he thinks they were shortchanged a couple other shots, with Lewis making 13 saves.
Radtke was also pleased with how his team played on the road, particularly since the Lady Blackhawks haven’t enjoyed much success recently at West Valley.
Cheney (1-6, fifth GNL, 3 points; 1-10 overall) should be back up to near full strength for games this week, including a pair at home against Pullman (Tuesday) and East Valley today, Thursday Oct. 16. Cheney travels to face second-place Clarkston (5-2, 16 points; 8-2) Saturday in a game that has been moved from noon to 10 a.m. to accommodate the Blackhawks Homecoming dance.
Radtke believes Cheney should be able to notch its second win against the winless Greyhounds, and sees opportunities against third-place East Valley (5-2, 15 points; 6-2). The first match up with East Valley the Lady Blackhawks played poorly in a 5-1 home loss Sept. 11, but much better the second time around Sept. 30.
In that game Cheney gave up a goal in the 19th minute, but held the Lady Knights scoreless until surrendering a pair of goals in the game’s final four minutes. Take those away, and the Lady Blackhawks converting on a breakaway scoring opportunity, and the outcome could’ve been much different.
“They’re a team we match up well with,” Radtke said.
Right now the Lady Blackhawks’ biggest challenge is possessing the ball better, something they’ve struggled with all year. If they can cure that, and with three of their final five games at home and one more at Pullman, Radtke thinks they have a chance to go 4-1 over that final stretch.
“That would be good, going into the playoffs,” he said.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
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