May 30, 2010
University Place, Wash. – The wonders a weekend can do for a team.
Coming into Memorial Day weekend, the Tacoma Tide FC sat at the bottom of the barrel in the USL Premier Development League’s Western Conference Northwest Division with a mark of 0-2-0. When the weekend was over, the Tide found itself back in the playoff hunt thanks to back-to-back wins at home against Eastern Washington rivals.
After taking out the Yakima Reds 4:1 Friday, Tacoma kept its opponent Sunday winless on the year after dismissing the Spokane Spiders 4:1.
“I thought [the team] didn’t play well at all (in the first 45 minutes of the game) and I was really disappointed, but I – you know, I told them they got some time to redeem themselves and they went out and did that,” said Tide FC coach Gerry Gray.
Brandon Blanks takes Coach Gray’s words to heart, fighting for the ball.
After a first half that was riddled with numerous Tacoma scoring opportunities left wanting, the 47th minute saw Tide FC forward Chris Sanders ink the scorer’s book when he took a cross from Cameron Vickers in traffic and headed the ball into the lower left corner of the net past a diving Nate Stockey.
Spokane (0-5-0) equalized in the 67th minute when the Spiders capitalized on poor clearance by the Tide’s defense, as midfielder Michael Noonan took his first touch and sent a low shot into the back corner of the goal.
Just three minutes later, Tacoma’s Sanders made his presence felt a second time, as the striker muscled his way through two challenges that left Sanders one-on-one against Spokane’s keeper, Stockey, for an easy goal at point-blank range.
Teammates congratulate Sanders on his second goal of the game.
“It looked more dramatic than it probably needed to, but then it was just one-on-one with the keeper,” said Sanders.
“I thought Chris did a lot better today,” said Gray, Tacoma’s coach. “He makes the most of the chances he gets and tucks ‘em away.”
Tacoma (2-2-0) added insurance in the 83rd and 85th minutes off the feet of midfielders Wes Van Hooser and Brayton Knapp. Knapp’s strike came on a penalty kick after Spokane’s Tim Muravez was issued a red card for taking down Rory Agu in the box.
NOTES:
Tacoma’s starting lineup: 1 (GK) Jennings, 25 (D) Elliot, 15 (D) Knapp, 26 (D) Henry, 23 (D) Conrad, 16 (M) Orozco, 4 (M) Vickers, 17 (M) Tucker-Ganges, 14 (M) Blanks, 20 (F) Schomaker, 2 (F) Sanders
Spokane’s starting lineup: 0 (GK) Brickey, 18 (D) Muravez, 15 (D) Olson, 3 (D) Baranski, 25 (D) Ostrander, 6 (M) Rasic, 9 (M) Noonan, 16 (M) Huges, 23 (M) Garre, 24 (F) Smith, 8 (F) Love
The Tide FC’s Chris Sanders now has three goals on the season, the other came in Tacoma’s win Friday…The goals by Tacoma’s Wes Van Hooser and Brayton Knapp were their first on the season…Knapp’s goal brought his point total to three on the year, his other point, an assist, came in Tacoma’s win Friday…After going scoreless after its first two games this season, Tacoma has scored eight in its past two…Spokane’s Nick Love received a yellow card in the 37th minute…Spokane’s Tim Muravez received a red card in the 84th minute…Tacoma’s next home match at Curtis High School Stadium is June 16 against the Washington Crossfire. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at www.tacomatidesports.com and at the stadium on the night of the game.
