West Linn boys soccer opens TRL with 2-1 win over Tualatin

The West Linn boys soccer team got the “W,” but the Lions weren’t completely satisfied with the day’s result.

Tualatin, meanwhile, took a loss, but saw some good things in its performance.

In the end, the Lions walked off with a 2-1 win at Tualatin High School in both teams’ Three Rivers League opener at Tualatin High School

The quotes, the standings

“I think it was good,” said West Linn junior midfielder and team captain Tristan Peia, who assisted on both of his team’s goals. “We didn't exactly come out with the intensity we needed, but it was a good game. We definitely could have put a few more in the back of the net, though.”

“I think we pretty much dominated the whole game,” said Lion senior midfielder Haaken Retzlaff, who scored the game’s first goal. “The score line doesn't really show how much we controlled the game, but sometimes that is how it is and we're glad to come out with the win.”

“It's unfortunate we couldn't get the (shutout), but it's those mistakes that we've got to get out of here before we get into playoffs and the rest of league,” added WL junior goalkeeper Will Seibert, who stopped a Tualatin penalty kick 17 minutes into the contest.

With the victory, the ninth-ranked Lions won for the second straight time , extended their unbeaten streak to three games and moved to 1-0 in TRL play and 5-2-3 overall. Next up, West Linn will play Lake Oswego at Lake Oswego High School at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14.

Unranked Tualatin, meanwhile, lost for the second straight time and fell to 0-1 in TRL play and 2-8-0 overall. Next up, the Timberwolves will play Lakeridge at Lakeridge High School at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14.

“I think we had good energy,” said Tualatin senior defender/midfielder and team captain Angel Marquez-Diaz. “I think we came into the game locked in and ready to play and I think we improved from our record.”

“Hopefully, (in future games), we can get some more chances to score and start out stronger and keep their goals from going in,” added Timberwolf senior midfielder/defender Everett Caspell, who scored his team’s lone goal.

The play

While West Linn controlled most of the first half, it was Seibert who helped launch his team’s success, stopping an early free kick by Caspell, then snuffing a PK attempt by T-Wolf senior Isaac Martinez-Guiterrez at the right post 17 minutes into the contest.

“We have a trend of going down (1-0) early so it was good to not have that start,” Seibert said. “You could see with the two goals that happened right after, (the blocked PK) energized the team and we were able to come back and score two.”

“It was a big swing,” Caspell said. “When you miss a PK, everybody drops their head. You've got to keep the energy up and make sure they don't counter and score.”

Indeed, just two minutes after Seibert’s save, Peia crossed the ball to Retzlaff and he finished at the right post for a 1-0 lead with 21:00 left in the half.

After a couple near misses by Peia and sophomore Lincoln Kensinger in the next 11 minutes, West Linn sophomore Cooper Roms made it 2-0 when he took a lateral pass from Peia and tapped it past charging Tualatin sophomore keeper Miles DeGraw into the right side of the net with 3:38 left in the half.

West Linn junior Cooper Gilbo opened the second half with a hard blast stopped by DeGraw, but the Timberwolves put together their best stretch of the game after that. Tualatin began to possess the ball better and used that possession to set up Marquez-Diaz for three shots in a span of six minutes. He put two of those shots on goal — both saved by Seibert — while the other one was a free kick that missed high.

While West Linn didn’t score again, the Lions followed with two dangerous chances, the first from junior Isaac Babalai (on a header with 11 minutes remaining) and the second from senior Theodore Marshall-Hilliker (on a PK that ricocheted off the top of the Tualatin goal with 8:06 to go).

The Wolves finally got on the scoreboard with 2:38 remaining when Caspell ran down a long through ball on the right side and scored from the top of the West Linn penalty box, a score that forged the final 2-1 margin.

“We just need to continue to be composed, continue to dominate games and the goals will come,” Peia said. “The score line doesn't always show it, but we just need to keep dominating teams, and if we keep playing the way we are, I don't see any problems.”

“I think we just need to be a little more composed, keep our heads down and keep playing no matter the situation,” Retzlaff said. “We're doing everything right. We're controlling the game and the possession. We just need to put the ball in the back of the net.”

For their part, the Wolves believe they’ll be able to compete in their upcoming TRL contests.

“By the way we played today, in future games, we’ll do even better,” said Marquez-Diaz.