The Dalles junior Daniel Cantolan (10) heads a corner kick towards the goal over Ridgeview junior Eric Rebuelta (23) and Trace Abramson (22) during Thursday’s game in The Dalles Oct. 21, 2001.
The Dalles junior Grey Roetcisoender, (7) works to move the ball past Ridgeview junior Trace Abramson during Thurdsday’s game in The Dalles Oct. 21, 2021.
The Dalles junior Grey Roetcisoender, (7) works to move the ball past Ridgeview junior Trace Abramson during Thurdsday’s game in The Dalles Oct. 21, 2021.
The Dalles junior Daniel Cantolan (10) heads a corner kick towards the goal over Ridgeview junior Eric Rebuelta (23) and Trace Abramson (22) during Thursday’s game in The Dalles Oct. 21, 2001.
Mark B. Gibson photo
The Dalles High Riverhawks boys soccer team has certainly turned things around and put itself into contention to be in an OSAA first round state playoff game Nov. 3.
The Dalles (4-2-2 league, 5-4-3 overall) has been undefeated in its past four games, which included a 2-2 tie versus the No. 9 ranked Ridgeview Ravens (5-2-1 IMC, 7-4-2 overall) at home Oct. 21. That deadlock was crucial for first-year Coach Jesus Granados and his Hawks, who are focused on getting one of the top-three spots in the Intermountain Conference standings to qualify for the Class 5A playoffs.
“To be honest, with the way the game started out with us dominating the first 20 minutes, we felt like this was a game we should’ve won, so that made it a little disappointing,” said Granados, a 2012 Hood River Valley High graduate. “We shouldn’t have been down 2-0, but then we got a penalty kick and a goal in the last few minutes to tie it. Getting the tie was a big thing for sure, though, because we’re in a playoff race. We’re playing with the mentality that every game is like a playoff game.”
The No. 18 ranked Hawks played the Redmond Panthers (4-4 IMC, 4-8 overall) in their last game Tuesday (result was after the printed edition deadline). The Hawks face their Gorge rival the Hood River Valley High Eagles in their regular season finale at 6:30 p.m. Thursday on Senior Night at Sid White Field at the Wahtonka Campus.
“In this situation where we’re down 2-0 with six minutes left and then we come back to tie it almost feels like a win,” said Granados. “The turning point of the season was a loss to Redmond (1-0 on Oct. 5), because we haven’t lost since then. We’ve turned things around and we’re playing our best soccer of the season right now.”
In a game between evenly matched squads, The Dalles had a time of possession offensive advantage for a majority of the first half, with many good shots and scoring opportunities, but neither team scored. Ridgeview got on the scoreboard with a goal in the 44th minute and extended its lead seven minutes later.
Both teams continued getting more scoring opportunities as each had solid offensive possessions into the goal area on both sides of the field throughout the second half. Goalkeepers for both teams played tough, particularly Hawks sophomore keeper Luciano Alvarado, who was outstanding in the net with seven saves.
With less than seven minutes remaining, the Hawks had a good offensive series while getting into the goal area for a potential scoring chance. The Dalles junior wing Daniel Cantolan delivered a corner kick into the box where the Hawks’ leading scorer Hulises Najera (19 goals) was positioned at for a shot attempt. A handball penalty by the Ravens gave The Dalles a penalty kick and Najera booted in the shot from 12-yards, making it 2-1 with 6:23 left in the contest.
The Dalles knotted the score three minutes later. Following a Ravens foul on Najera, Cantolan sent a pass on a free kick from 20 yards that senior Alex Wood quickly controlled and converted into a goal with 2:54 left.
“It was really cool to score in the last few minutes,” said Wood of his first goal this season and second of his career. “We came back; we never quit, and we just kept fighting while giving a 110 percent effort for the entire game. Daniel just gave me a perfect pass.
“We’re playing every game as if it’s the playoffs because the outcome of every game is huge for us in the standings. I had a game-tying goal like this against Hood River when I was a sophomore, so this is a very similar situation to that one.”
Of his assist, Cantolan said: “I put a good bounce on the ball, and I’ve made plays like that many times in practice, and it worked out perfectly today.” Cantolan has scored five goals and has five assists this season. “That was the biggest assist I’ve made this season, it really was. We still have a lot of work to do though, but I think we can make the playoffs.”
The Hawks’ four-game unbeaten streak started with a 2-2 tie versus No. 8 ranked Hood River (7-0-1 IMC, 9-1-2 overall) Oct. 7, followed by a 4-1 win over the Crook County Cowboys on Oct. 14 in Prineville and an 8-0 win over the Pendleton Buckaroos on Oct. 19 in Pendleton.
Najera set a The Dalles High School record with six goals scored against Pendleton. Najera scored two in the first half, giving the Hawks a 2-0 halftime advantage.
“It took us a little while to get started (versus Pendleton), then after leading 2-0 at halftime, we emphasized that we have to play every game as if it’s the playoffs and the boys just came out more hungry to score in the second half,” said Granados.
Najera, a freshman, then scored four second-half goals and sophomores Jaden Bullard and Angel Rodriquez also scored for the final 8-0 margin.
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