Cheney senior Olivia Swenson controls a long ball against a Pullman defender during the first half of Saturday's regular season finale against the visiting Greyhounds.
In a way, last Saturday's shootout loss to Pullman in the regular-season finale for both teams exemplified the Cheney girls' soccer team's season - one break shy of success.
After finishing 80 minutes of regulation and 10 minutes of two overtime periods, the Lady Blackhawks and Greyhounds were tied at 3 with Pullman preparing to take its fifth shot in the first round of five. Needing a goal to win, Anna Mari Petrino's shot struck the crossbar almost dead center and went straight down, bouncing several times on the ground.
After a few seconds, with Pullman players, coaches and fans lobbying the ball was inside the line for a score, and Cheney's players and fans waving it off, the referee signaled the score that gave the Greyhounds the 2-1 win on the Lady Blackhawks Senior Day.
"You have to rely on the referee and he was standing right there," Cheney head coach Nels Radtke said.
The Lady Blackhawks played hard and well in the final home game for seniors Jasmine McCauley, Rhylee Crawford, Olivia Swenson and Reba Eaton. Cheney took a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute when Gabby Nguyen tracked down a long ball near the left corner of Pullman's defensive end, worked a pass back to Eaton who crossed the ball in front of the net where Lelie Holland rushed forward to knock in the goal from just outside the 18-yard box.
Pullman tied the game 18 minutes later on a long floating ball from Sierra Robinson from close to the sidelines just inside midfield on Cheney's defensive end. Lady Blackhawks goalkeeper Nicole Rowley got a hand on the floater but couldn't keep out what Radtke termed a "cheap shot."
"Who knows if she was even shooting?" he added.
Cheney ended the regular season 1-11 in Great Northern League play, fifth, and 2-14 overall. Next up for the Lady Blackhawks are the playoffs, with Cheney facing a loser-out contest today (Thursday, Oct. 29) at second place West Valley, 10-2, 11-4.
Radtke is excited about the match up, despite Cheney losing all three games to the Eagles, including last Thursday's 3-0 loss in Millwood. The Lady Blackhawks kept the Eagles off the scoreboard for the first 60 minutes, and just missed taking leads on several occasions as shots striking the posts bounced out instead of in.
"We can play with them," Radtke said. "The scores don't show it, but in terms of game play, it's been a lot closer."
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
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