SUMNER — Filly Afenegus told his team he thought it played its best performance of the season Friday night.
That’s saying a lot for a team that is now 21-0.
Freshman Maksim Yurichko scored on a quick strike inside the box after inadvertently blocking a shot by teammate Ryan Connop and the Chieftains defeated Franklin Pierce 1-0 at Sumner High School’s Sunset Chev Stadium in the 2A state semis, continuing the program’s deepest-ever postseason run.
River continues its undefeated season into the state finals on Saturday, where it will play Burlington-Edison at 5 p.m.
“It’s the culmination of all our players’ hard work and the bonding we’ve had over our four years together,” Connop said. “It’s amazing that we’ve been able to peak. I don’t have words.”
Columbia River, which is comprised of 10 seniors, held the possession advantage over Franklin Pierce for the entire first half. Most of the Cardinals’ offensive opportunities came via counter attacks.
For a team that returned its entire starting lineup from last season, it goes to show its depth that its most productive offensive piece was a freshman.
Plus, in the majority of its now-21 consecutive wins this season, Columbia River has had no trouble putting the ball in the back of the net.
But for the majority of Friday night’s semifinal, the Chieftains could not come up with a goal.
After 59 minutes of unrelenting attempts, they caught a break.
On his goal, Yurichko said he was trying to get out of the way of Connop’s shot, but when it hit him, he turned and shot it. Once he saw it go in, he ran toward his teammates in celebration.
“I knew that could be the game-winner,” Yurichko said.
Franklin Pierce scrounged up a couple of set piece and produced opportunities to score in the last five minutes. Connop said at that point, he the exhaustion was setting in. But the Chieftains held them off.
“That last three minutes felt like 10,” Connop said. “They just kept pushing and sending balls forward, but we were able to be composed and grind it out.”
The Chieftains produced many opportunities in the first half. Sophomore Jake Connop, senior Jack Kolosvary and Yurichko all missed open looks at the goal.
Goalkeepers Reilly Burke and David Gonzalez each posted shutout halves. Both the senior goalkeepers are committed to play in college — Burke at College of the Siskiyous and Gonzalez at Spokane Falls Community College.
The semifinal game started at 8:37 p.m. — 37 minutes behind schedule. If the team had any nerves after waiting all day to play in its much-anticipated game, they didn’t show once the whistle blew.
In the huddle after the game, head coach Filly Afenegus expounded upon the team’s relentless effort.
“Wire-to-wire, full 80 minutes and you did not take a break,” he told them. “And they pressed like crazy.”
Afenegus now has reached the finals with both the boys and the girls programs at Columbia River in the same school year. His advice?
“We’re not here on vacation,” Afenegus told the team. “We’re not here to celebrate. Tomorrow is the day we need to close the deal.”
2A STATE SEMIFINALS
At Sunset Chev Stadium
Sumner, Wash.
COLUMBIA RIVER 1, FRANKLIN PIERCE 0
Columbia River
Goal (assist) — Maksim Yurichko (Ryan Connop). Goalkeepers — Reilly Burke, David Gonzalez.
Franklin Pierce
Goalkeeper — Noah Carver.
Halftime — 0-0
