Sunday, May. 24, 2009

Pasco returns to 4A soccer semis

By Jack Millikin, Herald staff writer

Miguel Acevedo and Marco Acevedo are not related, despite the fact that they share an identical last name and were both recruited to play at Walla Walla Community College next fall.

But the pair of Pasco seniors were inexorably linked during a 3-2 win over Kamiak in the 4A state quarterfinals Saturday at Edgar Brown Stadium, connecting for two goals as the Bulldogs earned a return trip to the Final Four in Lakewood.

Pasco (17-0), ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 2 in the nation in the latest NSCAA/adidas poll, will face Woodinville (10-3-4) -- which upset second-ranked Stadium 1-0 on Friday night -- at 8 p.m. this Friday at Harry Lang Stadium.

"I love it," said Bulldogs coach Mike Pardini, whose last trip to Lakewood in 2007 resulted in a 4A state title. "The way we always say it is you get to this point and anything goes, but we're where we wanted to be. We know we've got a lot of work to do before Woodinville."

Miguel Acevedo headed in both goals -- the first off a first-half throw-in and the second off a second-half free kick -- but each was a direct result of a pinpoint service from Marco.

Pasco struck quickly in the first minute, advancing into Kamiak territory and setting up a throw in deep in the Knights' back third. Marco heaved it from the right sideline to just outside the 6-yard box, where Miguel, flying in from the left wing, redirected it past goalkeeper Caleb Smith for a 1-0 lead.

"We worked on that in practice, where I just make the run to that first post," Miguel said. "Set plays were a major factor."

Kamiak, which erased a 4-2 deficit in the final three minutes to beat Mead 5-4 in a shootout Tuesday, again showed its penchant for coming back just five minutes later. Knights midfielder Spencer Kienholz out-leaped a defender in the Pasco box to win a high bouncer and headed it over keeper Emmanuel Martinez to even the game up at 1.

"Their first goal caught us off guard, but I know the character of these lads," said Kamaik coach Garfield Scott. "If we're playing to our potential, I know we can beat any team."

Eddie Mendoza put the Bulldogs up for good, however, in the ninth minute. Angled to the the left of Kamiak's goal, Mendoza fired a low shot that beat Smith inside the far post for a 2-1 lead. The Acevedo connection struck again in the 54th minute for a 3-1 lead, but Pardini was still a little concerned about missed opportunities.

"We've got to do a better job of putting away our chances," said Pardini, who watched his team ring two second-half shots off the post and miss on all five of its corner kicks.

Kamiak pulled to within one goal in the 66th minute on a goal by Brian Bae, and the Knights pushed up with another attacker down the stretch. The Knights earned three corner kicks and a pair of free kicks -- both on goal -- over the final 11 minutes but could not convert.

"We were just thinking defense, defense, defense," said Pasco midfielder Paul Herrera. "Our defense always comes through. We score a lot of goals, but they've got all those shutouts."

The Bulldogs have outscored opponents 57-8 this season with 14 shutouts, but five of those goals against have come in two playoff games -- a 4-3 regional win over Kennewick last Saturday and two more against Kamiak.

"You hope your defense is smart enough to kill off the game," Pardini said. "You can be the No. 1 seed, but it doesn't matter if the other team puts in more effort."

Woodinville, the KingCo 4A champion, has outscored opponents 26-12 this season and has 10 shutouts. Senior midfielder Gabe Gonzalez is the Falcons' leading scorer with four goals and three assists, while senior defender Wes Sagawa is the team's top playmaker with six assists.

Pasco, in its 14th state appearance, is heading to its fourth Final Four, including state titles in 1999 and 2007 and a second-place finish in 2005.

Pasco 3, Kamiak 2
Scoring—1, P, Miguel Acevedo (Marco Acevedo), 1:00; 2, K, Spencer Keinholz, 6:00; 3, P, Eddie Mendoza, 9:00; 4, P, Mi.Acevedo (Ma.Acevedo), 54:00; 5, K, Brian Bae, 66:00. Shots—K 11, P 19. Saves—K, Caleb Smith 3. P, Emmanuel Martinez 2.