Almost every soccer coach will emphasize the first five minutes and the last five minutes. The saying speaks for itself, noting the importance to start and end both halves well.
On Tuesday in Chehalis, the first five minutes of both halves went overwhelmingly positive for W.F. West.
The final five minutes, however, including one of the final kicks of the game, went in favor of Centralia.
“They didn’t give up,” Centralia coach Luis Magana said. “No heads down, and they were able to get it back.”
Well into stoppage time, Centralia’s Ty Leal-Minor’s shot found its way into the left side of the net, and it salvaged a 2-2 draw against W.F. West.
“Regardless of what we’re facing, we have to keep fighting through adversity,” Magana said. “Today, I am proud of these girls, they were able to come back twice, and they never gave up.”
Centralia’s first deficit of the game happened after a foul in the box, which sent W.F. West’s Mirabel Burger to the penalty spot. She converted to put the Bearcats ahead just three minutes into the game.
About 15 minutes later, Eva Reinitz won a foot race to the ball after a looping pass from Enedina Silva, and she flicked it into the net right before a collision with W.F. West’s Charlee Nelson, who had sprinted away from goal in an attempt to clear the ball.
For the rest of the first half, the Tigers were the ones who dominated possession, keeping the ball on W.F. West’s half and generating more chances than the Bearcats.
Once again, though, the Bearcats capitalized in the first five minutes of the half. In the 44th minute, Burger stepped up and looped in a free kick, her second set-piece goal of the night, to put W.F. West ahead 2-1.
“She puts in a lot of time and she works really hard,” W.F. West coach Kevin Schultz said. “You earn the right to get in those moments by being a player that puts in work. We knew coming into high school that she plays club at a high level, and it’s really what she does. She eats, breathes, and loves soccer. It just shows her commitment level to the game before she ever got to high school.”
The chances evened out in the second half, and the Bearcats missed a couple opportunities to put the game away.
On Centralia’s final push, Silva sent another long pass into the box, where Reinitz dished it over to Leal-Minor, who slotted it home.
“She’s been looking for that goal,” Magana said. “We told her to be patient. Seeing that buildup and seeing that goal, you just have that feeling once you see it leave someone’s foot. I knew that was going in. I’m really happy she got it, because she’s been looking for that goal. I hope for a confidence boost for her as well.”
Moments after the ensuing kickoff, the referee blew the final whistle.
Schultz, understandably frustrated, could only watch.
“We just didn’t do a good enough job of clearing the ball,” Schultz said. We have to understand the situation there … We just have to knock the ball anywhere. We just lost the player, left her open in the middle of the field today, and she had a really good strike.”
The result was especially frustrating for Schultz because he felt Monday’s practice was a great one, but he said things didn’t translate from practice to the game the way they usually do.
The Bearcats (8-0-3, 3-0-1 2A EvCo) will look to get back in the win column on Thursday in Aberdeen.
“We didn’t play like the team we needed to be,” Schultz said. “We should feel lucky to have gotten a draw today … I just want to see us play soccer the way we’re capable of.”
Centralia (3-5-2, 1-2-1 2A EvCo) will look to build off the draw, especially since it came on the heels of an 0-2 mark last week. The Tigers will be on the road again on Thursday at Black Hills.
“This shows our true potential of what we can do when we work together and stick to the system,” Magana said. “I’m hoping that momentum keeps building up … We’re just looking for a competitive match against Black Hills, and we’ll go from there.”
