Will you chip in to support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation today?
Yes, I want to support My MLTnews!
If their matchup against the powerhouse Shorewood Stormrays on Tuesday was a test, the Edmonds-Woodway Warriors will be happy to know that it only served as an early-in-the-year pop quiz and not an all-encompassing class final.
The Warriors were dominated in all aspects of the game by the 3A State runner-ups from last year. The Stormrays steamrolled Edmonds-Woodway 7-0 at Shoreline Stadium in the 2A/3A Wesco League South Conference opener for both teams.
Shorewood scored twice in the game’s first six minutes, controlled the ball and the pace of the game throughout, outshot the Warriors 18-1 and enjoyed a 9-1 advantage in corner kicks during the contest.
“They were excellent,” said E-W Coach Jason Hanson of the Stormrays. Shorewood lost just three of 23 matches played last year, the final one being in the 3A State championship contest.
“They played at a pace and an urgency and technical level that we just aren’t at,” Hanson said. “We’re a super new team, tons of new varsity players. So that might have been a wakeup call about where we need to get to.”
Shorewood lost just five players to graduation from last year’s squad that finished second in state, while the Warriors had to replace 13 seniors who graduated from last year’s team.
Daniel Bruno scored twice for the Stormrays on Tuesday, including a remarkable 20-yard free kick over a four-man Warrior wall in the 20th minute, bouncing the ball off the crossbar and into the goal. Shorewood’s Tajidin Babayev also scored a pair of goals in the match. Nikola Genadiev, Dominic Dalasta and Elias Magallanes rounded out the scoring for the Stormrays.
Edmonds-Woodway was unlucky with a couple of the Shorewood goals as shots by Dalasta in the 11th minute and Magallanes in the 74th minute deflected off Warrior defenders before slipping across the goal line.
The Warriors best scoring chance — and only shot on goal in the game — came in the 13th minute with a Natan Ghebreamlak penalty kick. But the senior’s PK was turned away by Shorecrest starting goalkeeper Kaare Nye.
The Stormrays’ two goals in the first six minutes set the tone for the lopsided match. “We were on our heels at the beginning,” Hanson said.
Despite the defeat, Hanson was reflective after the contest. “I told the boys earlier in the year if you’re not winning, you’re growing,” Hanson explained. “So we have to take this opportunity to grow as a team and see what level we need to be to compete with a championship-level team like that.”
“So kudos to them; they showed us where we need to get to,” Hanson added.
Junior Isaiah Zabel had to relieve E-W starting goalkeeper Daniel Abraham in the 64th minute after the senior fell to the turf in a glancing collision with a Stormray player. Zabel made one save of three Shorewood shots during his 17 minutes of game action.
The Warriors don’t have much time to think about their Tuesday outing, as the team was scheduled to be back on the road Wednesday to face another strong squad, the Bothell Cougars, at historic Pop Kenney Stadium.
Wednesday’s match against Bothell is the first of seven before E-W must face Shorewood again on April 14. Hanson believes that, with the growth he expects to see in his team over the next four weeks, his squad will be in a better position to challenge the Stormrays in that mid-April contest at Edmonds Stadium.
“We’ll see them again and we’ll be better prepared,” Hanson said.
Prep Boys Soccer: Edmonds-Woodway at Shorewood, March 17
Edmonds-Woodway 0 0 – 0
Shorewood 4 3 – 7
Goal scorers:
– Daniel Bruno (Shorewood), assisted by Nikola Genadiev, in the 2nd minute
– Nikola Genadiev (Shorewood), unassisted, in the 6th minute
– Daniel Bruno (Shorewood) free kick in the 20th minute
– Dominic Dalasta (Shorewood), unassisted, in the 25th minute
– Tajidin Babayev (Shorewood), assisted by Nikola Genadiev, in the 63rd minute
– Elias Magallanes (Shorewood), unassisted, in the 73rd minute
– Tajidin Babayev (Shorewood), unassisted, in the 74th minute
Shots:
– Edmonds-Woodway, 1
– Shorewood, 18
Saves:
– Daniel Abraham (Edmonds-Woodway), 2
– Isaiah Zabel (Edmonds-Woodway), 1
– Kaare Nye (Shorewood), 0
– Maxwell Smith (Shorewood), 0
Corner kicks:
– Edmonds-Woodway, 1
– Shorewood, 9
Yellow cards:
– Julian Shook (Shorewood), in the 14th minute
– Natan Ghebreamlak (Edmonds-Woodway), in the 23rd minute
Records: Edmonds-Woodway 0-1-0 in 2A/3A Wesco League South Conference, 1-1-0 overall; Shorewood 1-0-0 in 2A/3A Wesco League South Conference, 2-0-0 overall
Edmonds-Woodway next match: versus Bothell; Wednesday, March 18; 7:30 p.m. at Pop Keeney Stadium in Bothell
Shorewood next match: versus Shorecrest; Friday, March 20; 7 p.m. at Shoreline Stadium
Real first and last names — as well as city of residence — are required for all commenters.
This is so we can verify your identity before approving your comment.
By commenting here you agree to abide by our Code of Conduct. Please read our code at the bottom of this page before commenting.