Saturday, July 6, 2013
SEATTLE, Wash. -- The Victoria Highlanders claimed a top-two position in the PDL’s Northwest Division as they fought back to take a 2-2 draw with the Washington Crossfire on Saturday night at Redmond High School. The point earned from the draw moved the Highlanders within a win of clinching the Northwest Division title.
The Highlanders earned their first chance in the fourth minute, when Gavin Barrett lobbed a ball up the right side of the field, the lob was caught by Blair Sturrock who sent a cross to Brett Levis, who fired it high. Levis would get another shot off four minutes later off a pass from Jordie Hughes that would deflect off a defender before reaching goalkeeper Ian Clark.
Washington would create a couple of opportunities of their own on the quarter-hour mark, firing crosses in front of goalkeeper Elliot Mitrou that would not connect. The Highlanders would answer back with a chance of their own minutes later, when Ravenhill went one-on-one against his defender, getting room to fire a shot that went past the far right post.
Washington forward Christian Roldan fired a shot that Mitrou got a hand on on the half-hour mark, slowing it down before it could trickle behind him. Washington then received a chance to the right of Mitrou, with Roldan once again firing a shot that Barrett slid to block, the rebound going wide left.
The Crossfire would net the game’s first goal in the 39th minutes, with defensman Justin Schmidt converting on a penalty kick that was awarded after Tyler Hughes fouled Roldan in the penalty area.
Following Washington’s goal, the Highlanders would gain the majority of possession for the remainder of the half, with Hughes getting a chance to answer back in the 42nd minutes, getting the ball 25 yards from goal but firing the ball just left. The Highlanders would be unable to even the score before the half was up, with the shots favouring Washington 5-3.
The Crossfire almost struck again in the opening minute of the second half as Mitrou raced 30 yards out of his net to beat Roldan to the ball, kicking it away before the Crossfire striker could get a touch. Once again maintaining possession in the opening five-minutes, the Highlanders applied pressure in the offensive zone but were unable to capitalize.
Roldan would double the Crossfire’s advantage in the 63rd minute as he broke in alone on goal and fired past an advancing Mitrou to put the Crossfire up 2-0. The game would turn in the Highlanders favor 10 minutes later, however, as the Crossfire were reduced to 10 men after Clark brought down Jordie Hughes, resulting in a penalty kick. Tyler Hughes would convert on the penalty kick, pulling the Highlanders within one.
Five minutes later, substitution Sam Prette would break up the right wing, firing a cross pass to Sturrock who one-touched it into the back of the net, tying the match with 12 minutes to go.
Up a man, the Highlanders would apply pressure, with Levis nearly converting a pass from Prette off a corner kick in the 86th minute. Levis would receive another opportunity in stoppage time, but would fire it wide right as the game ended in a draw.