The Brookings-Harbor Bruins varsity soccer team took the field Saturday afternoon against a formidable St. Mary Crusader team in a battle to advance to the 3A boys soccer semi-final round.
After traveling from Medford the OSAA rakned #9 Crusaders stepped off the bus with a calm confidence boasting a 14-1-0 record and ready to play on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon for great soccer in Brookings.
After the first few minutes of the first half, both teams settled into their rhythm with passing and communication as both teams pressed carefully into each others defensive half of the field. The Bruin defense held their line and didn’t allow the Crusaders fast break opportunities while shutting down open shots.
As time wore on in the first half the Bruins began to take more risks in their attack as their defense grew more confident. Long passes down the edges with crosses from the outside held the ball in the Crusader defensive end for the majority of the final 15:00 minutes of the first half.
After missing the goal on some open shots wide and high and some timely saves from Crusader keeper Hunter Holdermann, sophomore striker Fabian Villa #10 took a direct free kick from 35 yards out and curled it over the head of the keeper and into the upper right corner of the goal putting the Bruins up 1-0 at the 35:00 minute mark of the first half.
Just before the half the Bruins continued their attack and the Coach Beaman game plan of long passes down the edges payed off when Bruin forward junior Rylan Bruce #5 beat his man around the corner and placed a cross that caught the Crusader defense flat footed. The Bruce cross found the foot of Villa who buried the shot with authority to extend the Bruin lead to 2-0 just 3:00 minutes after the previous Bruin goal and moments before the half time break.
After the half, both teams came out and tested each others adjustments. The Crusaders shadowed Fabian Villa after his 2 goals in the first half in attempt to keep him off the ball. That worked until Villa was fouled at the top of the penalty box 7 minutes into the second half. Villa would take the direct free kick from in front of the goal that would slip under the Crusader keeper’s save attempt and slowly roll over the goal line for the Bruins third goal of the day.
A now clearly frustrated Crusader team turned up the pressure, relentlessly attacking the Bruin goal. Again the Bruin defense stiffened and Bruin keeper junior Juan Hernandez met the challenge turning away quality shots as the Crusaders desperately tried to get a goal on the board.
The pressing Crusaders paid the price later in the half when the Bruins counter attacked to the uncovered senior striker Jair Valdovinos #13 on the left wing. Valdovinos then took the ball at half field and broke away beating 3 defenders, dribbling to the edge of the goal box and putting it in the back of the net giving the Bruins their 4th goal on the way to a 4-0 3A quarterfinal win.
Talking with Coach Beaman after the game, “We played a very talented Crusader team today…they played well and congratulations to them. I am very proud of the way we played today. We stuck with our game, passed well, and supported each other the entire game. Our defense really stepped up, contained them and didn’t give up easy shots. We look forward now to Oregon Episcopal on Tuesday.”
The BHHS Bruin boys soccer team moves on to the 3A semi-finals this Tuesday against the OSAA ranked #2 Oregon Episcopal Aardvarks who have a record of 14-2-1. The Aardvarks have scored 81 points and allowed 12 points on the season to the Bruins 123 goals while allowing only 5 goals all season.
The Bruins and Oregon Episcopal will match up in Portland at the home of the Aarvarks at 2:00pm Tuesday, November 12th.
