Cardinals toughened up by rugged preseason soccer slate

The Medical Lake boys’ soccer team might be winless as they completed their preseason, but the Cards’ head coach Zane Higgins is not in a panic.

Following nonleague losses this past week, 3-2 at Clarkston in a shootout, and 2-1 this past Monday night at Gonzaga Prep, the Cardinals, 0-6-0, now embark on Northeast A League play, stronger for the tune-up.

“We’ve probably had the toughest preseason schedule we’ve ever had,” Higgins said. “Which is good for us, it’s a good test, we haven’t come out with a win yet.”

The Cardinals opened NEA play March 31 at Newport (3-0-0) and conclude their pre-spring break schedule meeting Deer Park (0-3-0) on the road.

Five of six contests were against teams from the Greater Spokane League with the other, a 3-2 shootout loss at 2A Clarkston, March 28. After going scoreless in three of their first four matches, the Cardinals’ offense has perked up.

Ty Masteller scored in the 13th minute Saturday at Clarkston and Nick Rosenback knotted things in the second half. In the shootout, the Cardinals got goals from Brendan Satcher and Rosenback.

A late goal, in the 71st minute by Spencer Ceballos helped G-Prep by Medical Lake. Rosenback tied the match in the 53rd minute.

“We’re been generating pretty good chances, probably more than I would have expected against teams like University and Mt. Spokane,” Higgins said.

There are eight seniors, six of them varsity regulars, on the 2015 roster. “We’ve got a good core of seniors, good leadership from them,” Higgins said.

They include Ryan Spangler, Wil Noble, Dominic Shaima Kirill Lesnykh, Brendan Satcher and Dallas White. Conner Baxter and James Leffler travel back and forth between varsity and junior varsity.

Part of the lack of offense rests in the loss of White, the team’s leading scorer from 2014. He has been sidelined from competition with an injury Higgins hopes is better in time for league play.

“We’re not even sure what’s going to happen with that,” Higgins said.

The junior class, Higgins said, ”Is one area where we are really low in,” but include Cody Bowman and Alex Garza. “The nice thing is we’ve got one of the largest group of freshmen we’ve had,” Higgins said. “We’ve got a couple of really good sophomores, too.” They include Masteller, Gabe Mangione and Austin Geiger.

The two freshman starters are Steven Robo, the Cardinals’ central defender and forward Rosenback. “They’re both strong players,” Higgins said.

Working to keep the goals out of the net are sophomore Nick Isherwood and Sam Matt, a freshman. “We’ve got two young goalkeepers, which is good,” Higgins said.

While the preseason toughened the team, their coach said the Cardinals needed it. “I think our league’s a little bit tougher this year,” Higgins said.

Colville and Deer Park are in from the 2A ranks and there’s a surprise, Higgins said. “Newport’s playing really well this year.”

And Lakeside, the defending league champs, will be good, again because they did not lose too many players to graduation, Higgins said.

The Cardinals finished 11-8 overall in 2014 and were knocked out of the first round of the playoffs in a 6-0 loss to Brewster.

Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.