Aberdeen took a big step in the race for a 2A Evergreen Conference title as we review Tuesday’s Twin Harbors boys prep soccer games.

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BOYS PREP SOCCER

Aberdeen 3, Tumwater 2

(Aberdeen wins 5-4 on penalty kicks)

Aberdeen kept its name in the race for a 2A Evergreen Conference title with a clutch 3-2 victory – 5-4 on penalty kicks – over Tumwater on Tuesday at Stewart Field in Aberdeen.

Entering the game sitting in third place in the closely-contested league standings, the Bobcats (6-2 overall, 3-1 1A Evergreen) used an effective and aggressive attack to take the early lead.

Bobcats junior midfielder Tyson Dunlap got Aberdeen on the board with a good first touch to get past a defender before skipping a hard shot from 25-yards out past diving Tumwater goalkeeper Davyn McGilvrey in the third minute of the game.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen midfielder Tyson Dunlap (9) is congratulated by teammates Ryker Scott (22) and Cristhian Lopez (7) after scoring a goal in the first half of a game against Tumwater on Tuesday in Aberdeen.

The Thunderbirds (5-5, 3-1) responded when Aberdeen junior goalkeeper Grady Osina went to field a loose ball near the edge of the Cats’ 18-yard box.

But Osina failed to secure the ball and Tumwater forward Aiden Aaseby took advantage, winning the ball and lobbing a shot into the top corner of the net to tie the game at 1-1 in the 15th minute.

Tumwater nearly took the lead when a corner kick to the back post was deflected toward goal, but Osina was there to secure the point-blank save.

Osina would have to come up clutch again when the T-Birds were awarded a penalty kick late in the first half.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen goalkeeper Grady Osina made two saves in a penalty-kick shootout to help lead the Bobcats to a victory over Tumwater on Tuesday in Aberdeen.

Aaseby took the shot but was denied as Osina dove to his right to make the save, keeping the score at 1-1 at halftime.

Aberdeen would trail for the first time in the game when Tumwater forward Gavin Cuoio raced down the left hash and sent a cross toward Aaseby, who headed the ball in for a 2-1 advantage in the 57th minute.

But six minutes later, Aberdeen would knot up the game when midfielder Gibran Garcia scored on the counter-attack to make it a 3-3 game.

Both teams had chances in the two overtime periods, but the defenses held to force a penalty-kick shootout.

In the shootout, Aberdeen’s Edgar Ceja scored to tie it at 1-1 followed by both goalies making saves in the second round.

Bobcats shooters Cristhian Lopez, Garcia and Ricky Granados converted the next three Aberdeen attempts to make it a 404 scored in the overtime.

Cuoio then stepped to the spot for Tumwater and sent a low shot toward Osina’s left side, but the Aberdeen keeper guessed correctly, diving to reject the attempt and give the Bobcats a chance to win.

“Guess and instincts, trust your gut,” Osina said of his mindset heading into the shootout, though he thought he saw a tell from Cuoio. “I noticed he liked to open his foot when he shot, so I assumed he was going the way he went. I knew it was going that way and I saved it.”

Aberdeen senior midfielder Freddy Hernandez lined up his attempt and calmly shot the ball past McGilvrey and into the right side of the net for the 5-4 shootout victory, giving the Bobcats a 3-2 win.

“It was really a good game,” said Aberdeen head coach Larry Fleming, who added his team used last week’s Spring Break to get healthy. “Spring Break came at a good time for us. We were pretty banged up. … I was hoping that we’d get healthy and we are. We had a little bit more depth and we had guys to rotate in and it helped us a lot. That was a rough game. It was fast-paced and (Tumwater’s) transition is so quick. That’s their game. … Our guys played outstanding. Our defense was really solid. … We played great and I was really happy with our effort.”

With the win, Aberdeen moves into a tie for second place with Tumwater in league, with both teams one game behind first-place W.F. West.

“It’s a mix of excitement and pure relief,” Osina said of the win. “This is a big win for us. Tumwater has always been one of our bigger competitors and winning against them today really gives us more spirit for the rest of the season.”

The Bobcats junior varsity team won 2-0 on Tuesday, with Evan Sanchez scoring both goals for Aberdeen.

The Cats host Centralia at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Scoring

First half – 1, Aberdeen, Dunlap, 3rd minute. 2, Tumwater, Aaseby, 15th minute.

Second half – 3, Tumwater, Aaseby (Cuoio), 57th minute. 4, Aberdeen, G. Garcia, 63rd minute.

First overtime – none.

Second overtime – none.

Penalty kicks: 5, Aberdeen (Ceja, C. Lopez, G. Garcia, Granados, Hernandez). 4, Tumwater (Salapu, Stevens, Oltion, Harroun).

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Montesano 7, Hoquiam 3

Montesano scored four unanswered goals in the second half to defeat Hoquiam 7-3 on Tuesday at the Sea Breeze Oval in Hoquiam.

The Bulldogs (8-1, 8-1 1A Evergreen) and Grizzlies (3-6, 3-5) traded goals early on, with Hoquiam’s J.B. Fabian converting a penalty kick in the 10th minute followed five minutes later by a goal from Monte forward Felix Romero to tie the game.

The Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead on a goal by forward Brady Whipple in the 18th minute.

But Hoquiam responded when Christian Sanchez scored on a cross from Alex Perez to tie the game at 2-all in the 22nd minute.

Montesano midfielder Cris Tobar scored with 10 minutes left in the first half to put the Bulldogs up 3-2 at the break.

Hoquiam tied the game once again with a Montesano own goal early in the second half, but the Bulldogs scored four unanswered goals – three by Tobar and one more from Romero – to secure the victory.

“Monte stepped up their game and we lost our momentum,” Hoquiam head coach Corri Schmid said of her team’s second-half demise.

With the win, Montesano moves to a game behind idle Raymond-South Bend for the top spot in the 1A Evergreen League.

The Bulldogs host Tenino at 6 p.m. on Thursday.

The Grizlies sit in seventh place in the league and will take on Elma at 7 p.m. Thursday in Elma.

Montesano 3 4 – 7

Hoquiam 2 1 – 3

Scoring

First half – 1, Hoquiam, Fabian, 10th minute. 2, Montesano, Romero, 15th minute. 3, Montesano, Whipple, 18th minute. 4, Hoquiam, A. Perez (C. Sanchez), 22nd minute. 5, Montesano, Tobar, 30th minute.

Second half – 6, Hoquiam, own goal, 41st minute. 7, Montesano, Tobar (Melendez), 48th minute. 8, Montesano, Tobar, 50th minute. 9, Montesano, Romero (Whipple), 65th minute. 10, Montesano, Tobar (Hawkins), 72nd minute.

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Rochester 1, Elma 0

An own goal turned out to be the difference in Elma’s 1-0 loss to Rochester in a 1A Evergreen League game on Tuesday at Davis Field in Elma.

The Eagles (5-4, 5-4 1A Evergreen) missed a chance to move into a second-place tie with the Warriors (6-3, 6-2) after a Rochester cross from the end line deflected off two Eagles players and into the net for an own goal in the 71st minute.

Elma had its share of scoring chances – including a long, dipping shot by midfielder Manny Venegas that rang off the crossbar in the 10th minute – but failed to covert them into goals to suffer the loss.

“It wasn’t going in until we, unfortunately, redirected it,” Elma head coach Carson Seaberg said. “We’re just struggling to find the back of the net and, sometimes, that’s just the way it goes. Our defense is playing very solid and our players up top are playing well, connecting passes and putting crosses in, it’s just not quite falling for us.”

With the loss, Elma missed a chance to move a ahead of Rochester in the league standings and now sit 1.5 games behind the Warriors in fourth place in the 1A Evergreen League.

The Eagles take on Hoquiam at 7 p.m. on Thursday in Elma.

Rochester 0 1 – 1

Elma 0 0 – 0

Scoring

First half – none.

Second half – 1, Rochester, own goal, 71st minute.