The Skyview boys soccer team’s difficult non-league schedule had just gotten a lot tougher.
Friday, Skyview played its first match since senior captain and first-team all-league defender Joshua Verrinder suffered a broken foot.
That match just happened to be against a Columbia River team on a 27-match win streak.
But Skyview was up to the challenge, holding on for a 2-2 draw at home. The Storm improved to 5-1-1 with four of those matches against teams that reached the state playoffs last year.
After scoring two first-half goals on counter-attacks, Skyview weathered a barrage of shots from the defending 2A state champions.
Columbia River (4-0-1) scored on penalty kick just before halftime, then tied the match with 15 minutes to play.
And while River had more possession and several scoring chances, Skyview largely weathered the storm.
“It gives us a lot of confidence,” Skyview defender Mac Handley said. “We’re a pretty young team and we held it together.”
Despite their win streak ending, Columbia River players weren’t hanging their heads.
“It was a good learning experience for us,” junior defender Marc Miranda said. “We’ve won a lot of games. For us to get in a situation where we were down will help us in tough games down the road. We kept our composure and had great leadership from older players.”
Verrinder broke his foot Wednesday against Mountain View. He wore a walking boot as he watched his team play its sixth match in 11 days.
“I’m so proud of them,” he said. “Credit to River. They showed a lot of energy. But so did our boys. It was a great game to watch.”
River put Skyview under pressure from the start, creating two good chances in the first 10 minutes.
But Skyview needed a split second to turn the tables. Evan Saftich scored on a low shot inside the right post to finish a counter-attack in the 17th minute.
Fourteen minutes later, Skyview doubled its lead when Jacob Thompson beat River’s goalkeeper during a breakaway.
Columbia River kept its composure. The Chieftains earned a penalty kick when Aaron Espinosa was tripped 15 yards from the goal. Maksim Yurichko converted the penalty on the last kick of the first half.
River kept pressing in the second half, searching for the tying goal. The Chieftains finally got it when Miranda scored from close range as several River players crashed toward the goal after a free kick by Yurichko.
“You’re going to miss shots,” Miranda said. “If you keep shooting, we’re going to get some to go in eventually.”
River had three corner kicks and two close-range shots in the final 10 minutes. But Skyview’s defenders held tight, preserving the draw.
“Working as a unit was the most important thing,” senior midfielder Cole Roddy said. “It started with out keepers talking. They’re a really fast offense and the put us under a lot of pressure. But we had the strength and did great.”
With the league season approaching, both Skyview and River exit Friday’s game with reasons to be hopeful.
The Chieftains now know they can rally when behind, which hasn’t been often since their last loss on May 16, 2017.
Skyview now knows they can compete with the state’s best teams.
“It’s a stepping stone, an important one,” Skyview coach Colleen McKinney said. “It’s overcoming that mental hurdle, not getting down on themselves and seeing it through. That’s an important piece to a successful team. River has got that. And I think our boys proved that tonight.”
