Boys Soccer: After a wakeup call from 'soccer gods,' Fort Vancouver races past Rochester 5-0 in 1A district playoff

May 13-First came the thunder, then came the boom.

Given a reset from the weather, Cristian Peralta Hernandez gave Fort Vancouver the spark the Trappers were looking for with a couple of quick-strike goals to propel Fort to a 5-0 win over Rochester in the 1A District 4 boys soccer first-round match Tuesday at Kiggins Bowl.

"We were playing slow that first five minutes," Peralta Hernandez said. "And I think that thunderstorm let us regroup, and I feel like we got to talking more. I feel like we got to take more shots and talk more."

A bit inexperienced with postseason play, the Trappers came out sluggish in the opening seven minutes of play.

But then a loud clap of thunder rolled over Kiggins Bowls, triggering an automatic 30-minute delay in play.

Coach Juan Mendoza Rodriguez said that's just what the Trappers needed.

"I think we were talking about the soccer gods helping us out a little bit," Mendoza said. "They came back from the 30-minute break and just really actually played to their level. They showed up, and they took care of business today."

While Trappers created multiple scoring opportunities out of the break, it wasn't until Peralta turned a quick counter into a goal in the 24th minute that put Fort on the board.

Peralta gave the Trappers a 2-0 lead in the 29th minute after receiving a nice feed from Dmytro Kinyshchuk.

The weather delay is something the Trappers hadn't experienced before.

"That was the first time, honestly," senior Jerson Meza Rodriguez said. "It was kind of weird. We went into the locker room for 30 minutes. It kind of slowed the game bit, but we started the game off the first seven minutes kind of slow. But giving us that pause, we got to process our thoughts, and we came back strong."

When Angel Monroy Chairez put Fort up 3-0 early in the second half with the first of his two goals, the Trappers were in control.

Fort now advances to the district semifinals where they'll face King's Way Christian at 7 p.m. Thursday at Kiggins Bowl.

It's been a season of firsts for the Trappers. Last week, Fort secured its first league championship since 1988.

The Trappers were in Stevenson having wrapped up league play with a win. Then the players were watching on their phones from the school parking lot as King's Way beat Columbia-White Salmon, giving the Trappers the league title outright.

"It means everything to us," Meza said. "It's history, since 1988. To be league champs while viewing on your phone, it's a surreal feeling. It was amazing."

Mendoza said the Trappers have been building to this moment since Fort last advanced to the state playoffs in 2022 as a 2A program.

"We played all summer together," Mendoza said. "I think that's a big difference. A lot of these guys have been with me for three or four years now. Every year, we would have two or three seniors. This year, we have nine seniors, and you could see the progression and the growth. They're really unified, which helps, and they have a great chemistry."

Unlock all stories. Stay informed.

Starting at just $1.99/week

Become a subscriber and get unlimited access to every story, plus our ePaper and app for seamless reading anywhere. Stay informed, support local journalism, and stay connected to your community.

Subscribe today

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 5:54 PM.