Brewster season ends with gut-wrenching loss to Connell

BREWSTER-The game could have gone either way. Connell emerged as a 1-0 winner at Brewster. Regulation ended in a scoreless tie. Then, the first overtime period and later the second overtime period ended in a scoreless tie. The Brewster and Connell soccer squads traded four penalty kicks each, before Connell sank its fifth try. That left the fate of the game on a single kick, one deflected by the Connell goalkeeper sending Connell on to Sumner.

"Our defense played very well," Brewster head coach Jenner Sanon said. "That was our goal from the beginning: establish a good organization so that we don't allow that many goals. We completed that and I'm very happy. I have three freshmen and a senior, so next year the defense is going to be [close to] the same. We have plenty of guys to keep a good team."

Luis Orozco had one of the Bears' best scoring opportunities in the game's 67th minute when he headed a cross from Isidro Najera, but his shot did not have enough power for a goal.

Connell made Brewster fans sweat with just five minutes left in the game when they stacked multiple men in the box, but Brewster escaped following several defensive deflections and the referee's whistle.

Connell's aggressive strategy left its defense vulnerable when Brewster got the ball back. With 2:45 left in the game, Isidro Najera propelled a powerful pass ahead to Felix Nava who was positioned for a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. However, the goalkeeper made it to the ball first. The play was the last significant one of regulation.

Connell pounced first in the first overtime period with a powerful shot that sailed wide right. Brewster goalkeeper Alex Sanabria made an aggressive save midway through the period, helping the team reach the second overtime period intact.

During, the second overtime, Brewster had a strong opportunity when Orozco made a powerful header, but the shot sailed just high of the crossbar.

Sanabria again helped the team with back-to-back saves, the first shot not powerful enough and the second a jump ball save in the air.

During the ensuing penalty kick shootout, Connell went first and scored first. Najera answered with a goal. Sanabria came close to a save on Connell's second shot. He tipped the ball, but it was kicked hard, making it into the net.

Carlos Talavera tied it, 2-2. Later, Edgar Perez made it 3-3. Ricardo Garcia sank Brewster's fourth shot, but the final shot bounced off the Connell goalkeeper, who proceeded to run in celebration.

Brewster made the stateplayoffs for the second straight season with a young team. Last season, the team lost in the first round 3-2 to South Whidbey. This season, the Bears won 4-2 on the road against Colville.

"The other team came and knew what they needed to do," Sanon said. "They've been there before. They've been to the state championship before. Several years ago, they beat our team in 2009, so they know what they're looking for. This is one of those experiences where we'll build on what we have today. When we have to play a game like this again, we'll know what to do."

As Sanon mentioned, Connell finished second place in 2009, beating a Brewster team that finished third.

The Bears finished the season 16-4 overall, capturing the Central Washington B title. The team entered the state playoffs as the second seed after the team first beat Liberty Bell 3-1, and then lost to Chelan 2-0.