OLYMPIA, Wash. – Scoring five goals by five different players, including a goal and assist from senior Joe O’Brien (Wooster, Ohio./Wooster HS), the Evergreen Geoducks blasted the Northwest Christian Beacons, 5-1, in the Cascade Conference men’s soccer finale for both schools on Saturday afternoon in Olympia, Ore.
The Geoducks (5-11-2, 4-8-2 CCC) got on the scoreboard just 6:23 into the game as senior Corey Johnson (Longview, Wash./Mark Morris) dribbled up the right side of the field and beat NCU keeper Erik Carrazco from about five yards out for a 1-0 lead. Northwest Christian (3-14-1, 1-12-1 CCC) answered back less than two minutes later when Peter VanderBogart got his head on a free kick from Travis Brown and put it inside the right post to tie things up at 1-1.
Evergreen took the lead once again in the 20th minute when O’Brien put his head on a corner kick by junior Kevin Flavin (Oak Harbor, Wash./Shoreline CC) and snuck it inside the left post for the 2-1 lead. The green and white made it 3-1 just a few minutes before halftime when Ramon Ramos (Tacoma, Wash./South Puget Sound CC) put a corner kick into the box and 5-7 defender Brandon Wood (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho/North Idaho College) gathered it from the crowd before shooting from point blank for the goal.
In the second half, Flavin joined the scoring in the 52nd minute when he beat Carrazco to a cross from O’Brien, dribbling around the Beacon keeper for the empty net goal. The Geoducks rounded out the scoring in the 72nd minute when Peter Durland (Seattle, Wash./Nathan Hale HS) sent in a pass to Carl Determeyer (Olympia, Wash./Peninsula College), who finished from about 10 yards out.
Evergreen outshot Northwest Christian, 27-11, on the afternoon. Despite allowing the five goals, Carrazco was strong in net for the Beacons, making seven saves. Pettit was also strong in the final game of his collegiate career, making four saves to collect the win.
The Geoducks finished the year in sixth place in the Cascade Conference with a record of 5-11-2 overall and 4-8-2 in CCC play. Northwest Christian ends the season in eighth place with a record of 3-14-1 overall and 1-12-1 in CCC play.
