Playoff Contenders Mercer and Garfield Battle on the Island

With everyone watching for the Issaquah Bainbridge game next week, several teams look to make a playoff push ding the rest of the season.  Skyline's drop to Maple Valley shows the field is still open.  Favorites MI and Bellevue may have a hold, but Curtis, Maple Valley, Skyline and Garfield all are in the hunt as well.  Tonight, we see Mercer and Garfield. Mercer Island scores first, opportunistically at the hands of Daniel Shields in the first minute and ten seconds, mostly dodging from behind.  On a failed clear, Yearsly picks one out of Bowens stick for a net making it 1-1. Caditz follows that with a goal a few seconds later on a strong dodge, only to return the lead to a tie as yearsly scores from behind on a man-up.

Mercer comes out firing in the second quarter, shooting on the run from the likes of Taylor, Cho, and Ko fed from Danny Shields to make the score 5-2 as the Garfield defense tries to see what they can do to stop the bleeding.  Yearsly would be that band-aid, as he finds net on Bowen after dodging several to break the scoring freeze to find net making the score 5-3.  Garfield clears, creating a beautiful transition play, with three passes leaving Wasielewski one on with Bowen, and the score is 5-4 Mercer.  Mercer is getting plenty of looks offensively, and has taken Rohrbach out of the game by shutting him off.  The strategy is working well, as Michael Black who scores just inside the end of the half making the score 6-4 at the half.

michael Cho breaks the silence scoring just inside the third quarter, followed by a haunting right-handed side winder from Steven Taylor.  Ho scores off a man-up trip, and the score is MI 9, Garfield 4.  Noticably silent is Rohrbach- he has an assist, but has been shut off all night on both man-up, and even play.  Choe finds another hole on a left-handed dodge, and the Bulldogs are scoreless in the third, as MI runs the court.  Doug Mahony fires a rocket to seal the quarters scoring at 5 goals, making the score 11-4.

Late in the fourth, MI taps another EMO for a goal, making 100% success on their extra man opportunities.  The score is 12-4, and Garfield has been silent for the half.  Yearsly has taken control of the offense for Garfield, hitting net for his fourth, and the teams 5th of the night. With the final quarter expiring, Wettack finds his mark and tallies the 13th goal to finish out the game.  Garfield's Yearsly led the scoring with four goals, followed by MI's Choe with 3g1a for the win.