Aberdeen edges Hockinson, 1-0, in district boys soccer opener

A sun-baked Stewart Field played host to Aberdeen’s District IV 2A opening round match against Hockinson and it took a little longer to celebrate in the sun on Saturday afternoon.

After several scoring chances were missed, the Bobcats converted a long free-kick from midfield when senior Cesar Corona dribbled through traffic and delivered a 1-0 victory over the Hawks.

On Tuesday evening, the Evergreen 2A Conference champion Aberdeen (14-2) will host district rival Ridgefield in a winner-to-state semifinal at 6 p.m.

“We probably had 15 chances where we should have scored,” AHS head coach Larry Fleming said. “Their defense was good, with fast guys who stayed up with us. (The guys) had chances, but we need to convert those and not let a team hang around like that. Our defense, for the most part, was awesome.”

For the Bobcats, this was a nerve-wracking contest. With the Hawks content on playing defense and hitting on the counter-attack, Aberdeen’s defense would be called upon to keep the peace while the offense explored its own chances.

“I knew our defense would stay in it; it was just a matter of motivating the offense,” senior sweeper Robby Lewis said. “Sometimes, when we’re missing shots like that, we’ll get down. We didn’t do that today. We kept going. This was our dirty game. We just needed a goal, because they played really good defense. Now, in the next game, we need to come out swinging a bit more.”

There were a few chances created by the visitors, but the only shots that got through the defense were from long range. AHS goalkeeper Alexis Garcia scooped those up expertly. Lewis, at sweeper, had fellow seniors Anthony Churlin and Dylan Hughes, as well as junior Trevor Dawkins, in front of him to solidify the defensive line.

With the back line working, the midfield and the forwards were free to pressure Hockinson’s goal. The Hawks’ goalkeeper, Tanner Hough, saw plenty of Corona, Miguel Torres, Tony Oropeza, Hulizes Chavez and Alejandro Felipe all day.

Aberdeen missed Torres for the final five-plus minutes of the first half due to a lower body injury, but Corona, Oropeza and Chavez nearly made Hockinson pay. Each had a shot on-goal that was either saved by Hough or flashed just wide of the goal.

“That’s hard to do,” Fleming added. “For eighty minutes, come on and score. Come on and score. Come on and score. That is a long game to score when we did. Sometimes games are like that, in any sport, where you have to grind it out and find a way to win.”

The difference came in the 69th minute and it started on a long free kick from midfield. Lewis took the kick and sent it into a scrum of Aberdeen and Hockinson players inside the penalty area. Felipe got a touch on the ball in traffic, but it was Corona who came out with the ball.

With just enough space, he turned and fired from 15 yards out, beating a diving Hough low into the low left corner for the goal.

Hockinson had one more chance to tie the match minutes later with a corner kick, but Garcia went airborne to catch the kick and clear the area.

Now, Aberdeen will get another chance against Ridgefield, which owns two 1-0 wins over the Bobcats in district play over the last two seasons. Both matches were in Ridgefield, played in 90-degree heat and on the heels of two play-in road matches in four days when Aberdeen was a Class 2A independent.

“It makes a big difference being at home,” Fleming said. “We lost to them twice and now, at home, we get a chance for a bit of revenge.”