SNOHOMISH — After winning the state 3A championship a year ago, Glacier Peak boys soccer coach Shannon Murray had high hopes for his squad heading into this season’s opener against Lake Stevens.
On Tuesday night, those hopes were realized — and then some — as Glacier Peak came away with a decisive 4-0 win over the visiting Vikings on a cold, rainy night.
The Grizzlies netted two goals in each half with senior forward Shane Miller scoring twice, and the Glacier Peak defense held Lake Stevens to scant scoring chances.
“Any time you win 4-0, that’s a good start to the season,” Murray said. “If I was walking into the night and envisioned a 4-0 win against a group as good as (the Vikings), I would’ve taken that in a heartbeat.”
The game was a non-conference showdown between two of the top soccer programs not only in the Western Conference, but anywhere in the state. Glacier Peak was the Class 3A state champion a year ago, while Lake Stevens reached the Class 4A state title game.
“Lake Stevens is good,” Murray said. “They’re the 4A finalist from last year, and I think they’re a little bit better than what they showed tonight. So I think we’re a little flattered by that result, but it’s still a good start to our season.”
“I thought we came together pretty well and we finished our opportunities overall,” added Glacier Peak senior midfielder Gregor Troost, who had two assists. “Everything went our way.”
This had the makings of a tight, tense affair, and for the first 15 minutes it was back and forth on the slippery, sloppy Glacier Peak turf. But moments later junior midfielder David Linney opened the scoring with a shot from in front, 30 yards out, and hooking right to left inside the left post.
“I think we were a little nervous (early in the game),” Murray said. “We were a little bit amped and it took us a little while to settle in. But the first goal kind of got us to relax a little bit.”
Glacier Peak’s second goal of the half and the team’s first goal of the second half were both scored by Miller, and both off assists from Troost. Midway through the second half, the Grizzlies had a 3-0 margin.
Five minutes later they tacked on their final goal, and it came after some deft moves by sophomore forward Michael Mikulsky. After chasing the ball and a defender into the left corner, Mikulsky took the ball away and fired a shot across the goal and into the far side of the net.
But as good as the Grizzlies were offensively this night, they were maybe better defensively. Lake Stevens has a talented squad, but the Vikings had very few opportunities near the net. And when they did, they were looking at Glacier Peak senior goalkeeper Andrew Weakly, one of the best in the state.
“If anything is going to take us far this year, it’s going to be how we defend,” Murray said. “I think we learned that lesson last year, that (defense) is a big part of winning games at the end of the year. And we’re taking that to heart right now.”
Exciting as the opening victory was, “we’re not going to win anything in the first few weeks,” he said. “The process (of getting better) is what we’re concentrating on, not the results.
“This was a non-league game and it was great to win it, but we have other goals in mind. We’re going to try to build this so that when we get to the end of the year, we’re in good shape.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
