Blackhawks second half efforts keep them perfect

It took second-half efforts to do it, but the Cheney High boys soccer team completed the first round of Great Northern League play with a perfect 4-0 mark with victories over Clarkston and West Valley last week. The wins run Cheney's regular-season league consecutive game winning streak to 45, with the last loss coming April 14, 2011.

That mark was threatened on Thursday at West Valley. The Eagles were the more inspired squad early on; controlling the game's tempo against a reactive Blackhawks team and taking a 1-0 halftime lead on Chris Hatten's straight-on shot from about 30 yards out in the 22nd minute.

In the second half, the Blackhawks found their identity, something head coach Mark Kiver attributed to the players. Cheney was the aggressor from the beginning whistle, playing with enthusiasm and creativity - something evident on the tying goal.

The Blackhawks had some good shots at goal early on, including one that went in but was called back due to an offside call. In the 56th minute, Spencer Yeager's shot on goal was blocked over the net by the Eagles goalkeeper, giving Cheney a corner kick.

Realizing they had the Eagle defenders on their heels, Kiver said instead of kicking directly into the box, the ball was played short to Oliver Smith, who dribbled in and passed to Yeager in the box - who headed in the equalizer from about the same place he had missed one minute earlier.

In the 61st minute, the Blackhawks again used creativity when Kelby Holland played a ball forward to Blake Smith, who timed his run perfectly to get behind the Eagles back line without being offside and knocked in the winner from just outside the 18-yard box.

West Valley out shot Cheney 18-8, with Blackhawks goalkeeper Austin Wallace making five saves, including a pair of big stops in the first half to keep Cheney close.

Kiver said the key in the second half was understanding that West Valley was playing their defensive back line high, close to midfield, a move that kept forcing Cheney into offside calls on balls played forward. Once the Blackhawks figured out how to time their runs, they found openings.

"If teams do that, we need to punish them," Kiver said. "That's what happened with that second goal."

Cheney had an easier time Tuesday against visiting Clarkston, but still needed a second-half push to earn a 5-0 win. Cruz Galm's goal off an assist by Caleb Prophet in the 38th minute put the Blackhawks on the board with a half-time lead.

They opened things up with three goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half, getting goals from Prophet, in the 43rd, Tad Tinker in the 51st and William Bassedas in the 55th minute. Prophet added his second assist, and brother Noah also collected a pair.

Gabe Hemenway added an unassisted goal in the 68th minute as Cheney out shot the Bantams 18-1.

Monday, March 30, the Blackhawks battled the University High Titans to a 2-2 draw, getting second-half goals from Holland and Yeager. University out shot Cheney 15-7 with Wallace making 10 saves and Kameron Galm three.

Cheney (4-0 GNL, 4-2-1 overall) stays busy with a pair of games this week before heading into a lighter schedule over spring break. The Blackhawks hosted Ephrata of the Central Washington Athletic Conference in a non-league friendly Tuesday, and begin the second round of league play with a trip to East Valley Thursday.

It's a schedule that should give the Blackhawks more chances to find out who they are before heading into the meat of the GNL season after the break.

"We need to go out and dictate and really assert who we are out there," Kiver said. "We need to be playing the full 80 minutes."

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].