Zach Martin / zach@chronline.com
TUMWATER – Kayden Page knows he’s a closer.
The goalie for the WF West High School boys soccer team was the one to play in the final 40 minutes of a tie or lead game.
Once he steps in front of the net, he understands his mission.
“Mentally, I was already in that state of mind before the break,” Page said. “It's bigger than what my sheets look like at the end of the night.”
In the Bearcats' biggest game of the season so far, the senior didn't daunt under the bright lights Tuesday night.
In a key Evergreen Conference game, the Bearcats defeated the Thunderbirds 2-1 at Tumwater District Stadium, with Page rejecting seven chances from Tumwater in the second half to narrowly lead WF West. He continued to lead.
“We were lucky we didn't connect,” Page said. “It's not a surprise to us. We knew we were doubted. We were playing with a shoulder injury and that helped us get this momentum. I was able to recover and get back on my feet.”
Three days after suffering their first league loss of the year, the Bearcats (9-2, 8-1 EvCo) fought back with a win over archrival Centralia in Game 2 of The Chronicle to clinch at least a share of the league title. possible to obtain. cup.
WF West won the first leg 4-0.
“The players knew what was at stake,” Bearcats head coach Allen Anderson said. “The second 40 minutes were the best football we have ever played together in terms of attacking and creating chances.”
There was no jealousy between Page and Josh Madrigal. The two have been equally supportive, whether one is on the field or the other on the sideline.
Madrigal made four saves in the first half. Despite all the saves Paige made, it was clearly surprising that Tumwater (6-6-1, 6-3 EvCo) didn't score.
“To be honest, I was nervous,” Page said.
In the end, WF West's last line proved to be too much.
“They took chances and we didn't. At the end of the day, that's what it came down to,” Tumwater head coach John Hayes said. “We're just not done yet. We were pressing and that's what we talked about doing in the second half. When a good team plays a good team, finishing is what matters at the end.”
The Bearcats broke a 1-1 tie midway through the second half.
On a rebound shot from a set-piece, Rafa Mendes had enough touch and spin to slot the ball into the bottom left corner in the 57th minute, giving them a one-point advantage. The page made sure it stuck.
“Kayden is a superstar. I've seen a lot of growth in him since last year,” Mendes said. “It took a little bit of skill, belief, and practice. I felt like it was one of my struggles to finish them.”
The sophomore said the Bearcats had a player-led training session Monday after losing in double overtime to Aberdeen last week.
On the bus ride back to Chehalis, I was quite disappointed. Still, Mendez was looking ahead to the fight ahead and how WF West can't dwell on the past.
“We turned that into fuel,” the sophomore said.
In the 21st minute, Adrian James sank a shot from over 20 yards to light up the Bearcats' scoreboard, the ball curling past the outstretched hand of Davin McGilvray and into the top left corner for a 1-0 lead.
Anderson called it a “great goal”.
“We have players who can finish inside the box and outside the box, but we found we lacked a standout goalscorer,” he added.
Ten minutes later, Stevens put the game back on track with a small cross to the feet of Nathan Boone, and Tumwater equalized on the counter-attack. Stevens ran down the right sideline and used his speed to create opportunities.
“That's our job,” Hayes said.
The Thunderbirds will look to bounce back when they host Shelton on Friday. Hayes still believes their best football is ahead of them as they aim for a top-two finish in the league.
“It looks like we've reached (the peak),” he said. “We played a great game on Friday, and this was a solid game.”
WF West is either two wins away from winning the league outright, or one win + Tumwater loss. At least he hasn't been in this situation since the 1990s, and even though everything is new, no forward-looking efforts have been made yet.
In Anderson's mind, the Bearcats are still focused on their next game.
“We’re learning how to maintain this intensity,” Anderson said. “We have a great group of seniors who have been on the team since they were young. We're not done yet.”
