Eagle boys end soccer season with Putnam tie, 1-1

The Eagles were looking to qualify for state for the 16th successive season the playoffs have been held. The last time HRV did not qualify for the boys state soccer playoffs was in 2005, when there were four enrollment classifications in Oregon. (No OSAA playoffs were held in 2020 because of COVID.)

The top four NWOC teams automatically qualified for the state playoffs. There also were two at-large berths into the Class 5A 16-team bracket based on OSAA rankings. The Eagles were in contention for one of the two at-large berths but needed to move up enough spots in the OSAA rankings. The final rankings, released Saturday, listed HRV at 18th.

There was minimal scoring in the HRV-Putnam match, but it came in a five-minute flurry. The visitors (5-8-1) scored first — 15 minutes into the second half - after a Hood River foul gave the Kingsmen a free kick 30 yards out on the right hash mark. Noah Martin curled a left-footed shot around HRV’s three-player wall and into the extreme right corner of the net.

The Eagles struck back quickly. A Putnam handball in the penalty box gave HRV a penalty kick with 20 minutes remaining. Defender Danny Villafana came forward for the kick and his left-footed shot curled into the upper right corner of the net. The Putnam goalie, who had made a number of good saves in the match, guessed middle and could only watch from his knees as the ball found the net.

Both teams had good scoring chances in the final 20 minutes, but neither could convert.

Against Hillsboro, Hood River took a 1-0 lead nine minutes into the match on Oscar Avalos’s penalty kick goal. Felipe Andro Mendez, running down the left side, received a nice through ball from Aran Garcia and was taken down in the box by a Spartan defender trying to catch up to the play. On the resulting PK, Avalos went low left with his shot and the Hillsboro goalie actually guessed correctly on the play. The diving goalie got an outstretched hand on the ball but couldn’t stop it from ending in the back of the net.

HRV went ahead 2-0 within two minutes of halftime when Jordan McDoal ran onto an Avalos through ball down the left side. The junior controlled the ball at about 30 yards out as he angled toward the goal. He dribbled right, then back to the left and got off a left-footed shot which scooted under the oncoming goalie’s legs and into the net.

Hood River made it 3-0 15 minutes into the second half when Garcia was taken down hard in the box on a corner kick. Villafana calmly scooted the ensuing penalty kick to the left corner as the Hillsboro keeper dove right.

Hillsboro scored its first goal with 19 minutes to play, when Hood River’s back line failed to clear the ball from danger. Three minutes later the Spartans converted on a fastbreak. The Spartans continued to press offensively and had a couple of good chances to score, but they couldn’t capitalize on them. HRV made good on its lone scoring opportunity down the stretch, when Edgar Lachino controlled a long pass down the right side with about 20 seconds remaining. Lachino beat two Hillsboro defenders and then chipped the ball past the Spartans’ oncoming goalie from about 15 yards out on the right side.