Tacoma Tigers unblemished record ends in overtime loss as Overlake advances
The 7th seed Overlake Owls on the road to meet #2 seed Tacoma and they are victorious in overtime.
The game started with Overlake taking possession as Tacoma was without necessary scorers table equipment, a horn. The teams exchanged possessions for half the first quarter with both teams missing open passes and giving up ground balls. Six minutes into the game Overlake’s Nick Guren goes one on one with Tacoma Goalie Peter Manza and Guren finds far side upper corner. Tacoma soon answers with Kenneth Wigboldy driving through four defenders and bouncing one past Overlake Goalie Raheem Parpia. Overlake answers right back with Guren again getting an open look at the goal and beating Manza left handed to the far upper corner. Tacoma takes the face off with Phil Bodien grabbing up a ground ball and with the fast break on, hits Mark Reuter with a great pass however, Parpia is right there to deny Reuter the shot. Overlake fails to convert, Tacoma is back on the attack and just as Chris Wigboldy finds the back of the net with a left handed bouncer, time expires and the goal is waived off. Quarter end with Overlake leading 2-1.
Tacoma takes the face off to start the second quarter with Ken Wigboldy, moved to attack, finding an open Isaiah Stanley who shoots just wide of the mark. Overlake clears the ball and while on attack Jack Wigboldy throws a wicked check knocking the ball loose, scoops it up and heads up field, just past mid-field he his older brother Chris with a pass who zips it over to Stanley who then finds Ken Wigboldy sneaking around the crease for the shot and goal. Teams are tied at 2 but not for long. Overlake’s Scott Adams drives hard from X and gets Manza to commit outside the pipes giving Adams the perfect opportunity to wrap one around and in to regain the lead 3-2.
Overlake commits a technical violation, push with possession, then fails to clear enough players off the field, drawing a second penalty. Tacoma, two men up for 30 seconds look to get the ball to Scott Gilson for the high ripper from just inside the top of the box. Gilson’s shot is just over the goal, Overlake recovers and clears. Tacoma’s Bodien draws a slash giving Overlake a minute of man-up and a chance to bolster their lead. Tacoma kills the penalty, however Overlake’s Jonathan Bechtol bounces one past Manza to put Overlake up by 2. Tacoma answers right back with another offensive look, Overlake takes it away, tries to clear, however Tacoma intercepts and proceeds to go off sides, giving the ball right back to Overlake. Working in tight Overlake takes a point blank shot, denied by Manza, but the rebound finds itself in stick of Overlakes’ Jay Sandstrom just long enough to go quick stick around Manza. With Overlake up 5-2, Tacoma calls a time out to regroup.
Scott Gilson takes the face off right down the middle, cranks off another high heater right into the waiting stick of Parpia. The clearing pass is intercepted by Stanley who immediately turns and shoots, missing wide far side. Overlake goes back on attack, Bodien strips the ball and proceeds to throw it up the sidelines, curving out of bounds. As Overlake clears, Kenneth Wigboldy draws a pushing penalty and Overlake goes man up for 30 seconds. Tacoma holds them off and the teams go into halftime with Overlake up 5-3.
The second half for Overlake starts out just like the first half. Guren gets the ball down low, turns and shoots and scores. Tacoma comes right back on the next face off and draws a slashing penalty against Overlake. Overlake is able to kill the penalty without giving up a goal. Tacoma’s Quinn Starkey cuts through the middle, gets a perfect pass from Curtis Holcombe, but again, Parpia is right there to deny the point blank shot, gobble up the ball and clear it up field. The ball quickly moves to Overlake’s attack as Tacoma is transitioning to defensive middies as Overlake’s Michael Nelson finds himself with the ball, one on one with Manza and beats him stick side hip to put Overlake up by 4, 6-2. Tacoma quickly answers right back with Holcombe finding Stanley camped out on the crease for the quick stick score.
Mid way through the third quarter things get rough on ground balls and both teams end up with two players in the penalty box. With both teams down two, Gilson finally finds his target, beating Parpia with the high heat. Gilson wins the face off and quickly finds Stanley slashing through the middle from goal line extended, hits him with a pass, Stanley turns, shoots and beats Parpia low. As Tacoma closes the gap to one goal, down 6-7, Overlake calls for timeout. With 30 seconds left in the quarter, the teams are even and Tacoma is on attack. With 3 seconds left, Kenneth Wigboldy grabs a Parpia rebound and sneaks it home to tie the game at 7s. Time expires on the face off.
The fourth quarter finds both Tacoma and Overlake unable to convert despite repeated opportunities. Both teams have solid aggressive defensemen and the play of the long poles dominated the fourth quarter. Gilson was able to get off another shot, but again, it went just high of the goal. Tacoma takes a time out to try to set up a score, but the ball comes loose and Overlake clears it up the field. Tacoma takes it away from Overlake and the clearing pass from Andy Fuller to Reuter is re-directed quickly to Stanley who finds Kenneth Wigboldy open on the crease for the point blank chest protector shot. Reuter gathers up the rebound and is denied by the kick save by Parpia. Despite another man up opportunity with time slipping away, Overlake is unable to convert. Reuter goes airborne for a shot but is again denied and time expires with the teams tied at 7.
In overtime Tacoma takes the faceoff and quickly goes on the attack. Gilson takes a shot and Parpia knows right where it is headed and quickly gobbles it up. Overlake at the other end has two opportunities denied by Manza at point blank range. Overlake beats the last shot to the end line and calls time out. Play resumes with Guren back left heading for the crease. He spots George Dolack at X, feeds him the ball and Dolack proceeds to drive the corner and wrap one around Manza for the sudden death victory. Overlake prevails 8-7.
