Cardinals roll into soccer playoffs

MEDICAL LAKE — The Cardinals boys soccer team completed regular season Northeast A League play the way one wants with postseason in grasp by keeping a winning streak alive.

The Cardinals concluded the NEA schedule with sixth straight wins following a 3-1 victory at Deer Park, April 23 and a 2-1 overtime decision at home vs. Lakeside, April 27.

“The run is a result of senior leadership and the desire to make it out of our league and on to the state tourney,” assistant coach Dan Collins wrote in an email.

That senior leadership was on full display against Deer Park where Mavrick Rasmussen scored a pair of goals in the ninth and 46th minutes and Kaden Rudy the other at 68 minutes for a 3-0 lead.

Another senior, Alex Grubaugh, earned the win in goal making nine saves.

With two starters absent, including Rasmussen, against Lakeside — and top scorer Kaden Rudy being smothered by the defense — Medical Lake found other ways.

“Kaden was double and triple teamed every time he got the ball,” Collins said.

It was time for underclassmen to take charge.

Trailing 1-0 after a scoreless first half, junior Tyson Clark got the Cardinals even with his goal in the 68th minute and sending the game into overtime.

That’s where yet another new hero may have emerged in sophomore Julian Taylor, who at the three-minute mark of OT scored his first career goal.

The Cardinals (9-3 NEA, 11-6 overall) finished the regular season tied with Riverside (9-3/10-3) for second place with the Rams earning the tiebreaker after sweeping the season series. Medical Lake hosts Newport (3-11) on May 2 at 4 p.m. in a loser-out contest.