Yellow Pages
SUMNER — A miracle goal kept the La Conner boys’ soccer team’s state championship hopes alive, but only for a few more minutes.
A goal in the final seconds tied the Braves’ Class 2B/1B State Tournament semifinal against Bear Creek at 1-1 on Friday, but La Conner later lost in a shootout to fall 2-1.
“We’re heartbroken right now,” Braves coach Steve DeLeon said. “We worked really hard.”
Bear Creek won the shootout 3-2, sending the Braves to the consolation final. They will face the loser of the semifinal between Tacoma Baptist and Northwest Christian at noon for third place. Results of the other semifinal game were not available at press time.
“I think we’ll come out strong,” midfielder Thomas Kahn said. “We want to finish the best we can.”
With their dreams of a state championship 30 seconds away from dying, Sten Mejlaender sprinted to the edge of the track to run down a ball kicked out by the Grizzlies. He threw a ball in from just beside the corner flag, arcing it right in front of the Bear Creek goal. Somehow Kahn got a head on the ball and redirected it in for the tying goal with 22 seconds left.
Kahn said he thought Kyle McKnight, who actually outjumped him for the ball but leaped too early, got a foot on the ball on his way down and popped it up for Kahn.
“He just got it up and I got a head on it,” Kahn said. “We just tried to finish strong as a team.”
McKnight and freshman Dylan Sicklesteel scored the goals in the shootout for the Braves, but another shot went high and Bear Creek goalkeeper Jamie Clough saved two more shots. The Grizzlies would have had a kick to win even if La Conner had not missed its final attempt.
“I took some risks (in the shootout),” DeLeon said. “I had to base it on what I saw in practice.”
Neither team had many chances on goal in the first half, and Nima Abtahi’s goal in the fifth minute was about the only dangerous scoring opportunity for either team. La Conner goalkeeper Taylor Fay deflected another shot despite being screened, but otherwise the keepers were not particularly busy.
The Grizzlies were the aggressors in the second half, and after the first couple minutes had most of the play and all the scoring opportunities. The Braves’ defense parried, but La Conner didn’t really even sniff the goal until the final minute.
The Braves had the best chance of the overtimes, as a Bear Creek defender fell down, leaving Kahn open with the ball about 15 yards out on the left side, but his shot went high.
• Eric Francis can be reached at 360-416-2131 or .
