No goals, no complaints from Lynden in 0-0 tie with Sehome
It took someone who played goalkeeper for more than three decades, Lynden boys soccer coach Drew Smiley, to call an intense scoreless tie “our best game of the season.”
And it took someone who was playing only his sixth game at goalie, all-league back-line defender Jonathan Lara, to agree with his coach.
In a matchup of Northwest Conference contenders, Sehome’s scoreless tie with Class 2A Lynden on Thursday at Bender Fields left both teams in the running for the title with six games left for each.
“I have to give our defense props,” said Lara, a senior captain who thought he would be playing his fourth season at defender. He took over at keeper when Smiley thought his exceptional athletic ability was most needed in goal. “Our defenders were great.”
Both Sehome (5-2-3 overall, 5-0-2 NWC) and Lynden (7-2-1, 5-1-1) came in with potent offenses – Sehome with a 28-8 goal advantage and Lynden with a 27-16 margin.
Lara posted six saves, with five in the second half including one stop on a collision midway through the second half. It was the third shutout for Lara, who saw the Lions extend their unbeaten streak to 5-0-1 with the personable senior leader in goal.
TOUGH ‘D’ EVERYWHERE
Lynden managed 14 shots to Sehome’s 11, but the Mariners’ goalies were up to the task on a day of a serious, game-long wind chill.
Sehome junior Prithvi Randhawa made four saves in the first half. Sophomore Mason Kealy logged three saves in the second half, including a diving stop with about three minutes left.
First-year Sehome coach Richard Henderson credited sophomore Jordan Byford with an “outstanding effort” on the defensive back line.
“Freshman Julius Ellison made his first varsity start and was excellent at midfield,” Henderson said. “Most likely he has earned another start.”
On Lynden’s back line, sophomores Ethan Jamison and Jabriel Ortiz were obvious standouts with a work rate second to none.
Henderson felt the constant wind hurt his team because the Mariners like to play a short-run, build-up style, while the Lions frequently use long kicks.
SMILEY GRATIFIED
“Sehome had their best player, Mason Rathkamp, come back from an injury and that really threw a scare into us when we saw him come out,” Smiley said. “We started (a combined) seven sophomores and freshmen and they impressed me.”
It was impossible to tell that Lara had so little experience in goal.
“It’s pressure, but I’m fine with it,” he said. “I thought I could do it (when Smiley asked him). But defense is what I want to play in college.”
COMING UP
The tie extended Sehome’s unbeaten streak to five games.
After facing Sedro-Woolley on Saturday at noon at Civic Stadium, the Mariners will face the toughest week of their regular season. Sehome meets Class 3A state contender Squalicum on Tuesday, April 18, and tests fellow 2A district contender Bellingham on Thursday.
Lynden next visits Anacortes, yet another district contender, Saturday.
This story was originally published April 14, 2017 at 8:26 AM with the headline "No goals, no complaints from Lynden in 0-0 tie with Sehome."