Mack saves 11, Eagles advance

In the victory, Chris Riedl had three goals, Casey Vannett and Josh McHale had two each, Paul Spaulding scored one, and goalie Adam Mack came up with an outstanding 11 saves.

The Eagles continued their playoff journey Friday with a challenging and important away game against a regular season league rival Lincoln High School. In their two match-ups this season, Hood River lost to Lincoln 9-4 on April 8 and 13-8 May 3. Results from Friday’s game were not available at press time.

"Most important in Tuesday's win," Jackson said, "is that we came up with 54 ground balls to their 38."

The first quarter was a tough, well-played defensive battle by both teams. The Eagles managed one goal through Wilson's tough back line before the quarter ended.

Riding in the back field and clearing was a big part of the game for both teams, which made every pass important and every loose ball valuable. "Wilson used a deep zone ride and made it difficult for us to clear the ball," Jackson said. "We changed our clear and became more effective in moving the ball up field as we gained experience."

With a change in strategy, Hood River turned their slim 3-2 half time lead into 7-2 in a break through third quarter. With four unanswered goals and breathing room going into the final quarter the Eagle's settled, scored one more goal and rode out the minutes. A two-minyute lapse late in the fourth quarter cost Hood River two goals. Their strong third quarter, however, sealed the win. The game ended 8-4 with Hood River on top.

"We rode very well. Zach Bohince was all over the place forcing them to turn the ball over to us," Jackson said. "Adam Mack had a great game in the goal with key saves at critical moments for 11 saves total. On defense Alex Princehouse, Peter Guth and Luke McCarthy all did a good job of handling their attack men in one on one play. Also, long- stick middies Matt Brauer and Tony Guisto were important in keeping pressure on their midfielders during face-offs and in their settled offense."

Hood River faced Lincoln on Friday, at Lincoln. If the Eagles won, they advance to play, at home, the loser of the Sprague versus South Salem game that was also played Friday Night. If they lost, the Eagles will play the winner of Sprague versus South Salem at the winner's home field.