Aberdeen fourth in league after fourth PK-shootout loss of season

Centralia ties game in stoppage time, beats Bobcats 3-2

By Ryan Sparks • April 30, 2024 8:00 am
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen co-captain Isaiah Johnson (22) heads the ball against Centralia’s Miles Page as Bobcats defender Angel Espinosa (4) looks on during a game on Monday in Aberdeen.
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen co-captain Isaiah Johnson (22) heads the ball against Centralia’s Miles Page as Bobcats defender Angel Espinosa (4) looks on during a game on Monday in Aberdeen.

Aberdeen had its chances to lock up third place in the 2A Evergreen Conference in its matchup with Centralia on Monday.

But a failure to close the door led to another penalty-kick loss as the Bobcats fell 3-2 (4-3 on penalty kicks) on Senior Night at Stewart Field in Aberdeen.

The Bobcats (7-8 overall, 6-6 2A Evergreen) jumped on the board first when senior forward Elmer Torres held possession inside the Tigers penalty area and was fouled in the first half. Torres converted the subsequent penalty kick for a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute.

Centralia (10-5, 8-4) responded with the first of what would be two stoppage-time goals in the game when senior midfielder Angel Rojas drove a free kick toward the Aberdeen net that was deflected in by freshman forward Damian Corona to tie the game just before the end of the first half.

Aberdeen took the lead once again in the second half when Torres chased down a long, angled pass into space and sent a cross toward freshman midfielder Gilbran Garcia, who one-timed a shot into the back of the net for a 2-1 lead in the 55th minute.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen freshman midfielder Gilbran Garcia (3) is congratulated by senior forward Elmer Torres (19) after Garcia scored a goal in the second half of a 3-2 loss (4-3 on penalty kicks) to Centralia on Monday at Stewart Field in Aberdeen.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen freshman midfielder Gilbran Garcia (3) is congratulated by senior forward Elmer Torres (19) after Garcia scored a goal in the second half of a 3-2 loss (4-3 on penalty kicks) to Centralia on Monday at Stewart Field in Aberdeen.

Aberdeen would hold the lead until well into stoppage time of the second half and earned a free kick in the Centralia end. Centralia defended the kick and sent the ball forward in a mad dash, last-ditch effort with time winding down.

Aberdeen keeper Evan Sanchez collided with an oncoming Centralia player for a deflection save, but Tigers forward Miles Page jumped on the rebound, took a touch and was slide-tackled by Aberdeen junior Evan Cone, who got a foot on the ball to deflect it away from Page, but was called for the foul.

“Whether or not that’s a PK, which none of us could see a PK on that. I’m not sure,” Aberdeen head coach Larry Fleming said of the controversial call. “There was literally 10 seconds left I guess. It’s just the way the season has been going.”

Centralia senior Simba Osman scored the ensuing penalty kick to tie the game at 2-2 and send the game into overtime.

In the second five-minute overtime period, Cone nearly secure a golden-goal victory when who received a pass, took a dribble to his right and ripped a hard shot from 30-yards yards out that just missed the top-right corner of the net.

Down 3-2 in the shootout in the fifth round, Aberdeen’s Marc Avila scored followed by Centralia’s Alan Cox missing the net to keep the Cats alive.

But a shot by Aberdeen senior Jeremy Bonilla was saved followed by a goal from Corona to end the game, ending the Bobcats hopes of a third-place finish in league.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen senior defender Chris Garcia (12) sends the ball forward during the Bobcats’ 3-2 loss (4-3 on penalty kicks) to Centralia on Monday in Aberdeen.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen senior defender Chris Garcia (12) sends the ball forward during the Bobcats’ 3-2 loss (4-3 on penalty kicks) to Centralia on Monday in Aberdeen.

“We played well. We are two pretty evenly-matched teams except I think we had more chances to score,” said Fleming, who commended the defense of Angel Espinoza and Isaiah Johnson. “We didn’t give them any shots. … Our counter-attack that playing through Elmer (Torres) and Evan (Cone) was really effective. … It’s just all season, we were a step away from getting goal after goal.”

The shootout loss was Aberdeen’s fourth in five PK shootouts this season.

“I’m proud of my guys,” Fleming said. “Great game and we gave ourselves a chance to win. Just putting the goals away and not letting teams stay in the game comes back to haunt us again. … I’m disapointed, but not in our effort.”

Entering the game, a Bobcats win would have earned Aberdeen the league’s No. 3 playoff seed as it held the tiebreaker over the Tigers. The loss means Aberdeen will have to face the 2A Greater St. Helen’s League No. 5 seed in a play-in game on Thursday (time, location, opponent to be determined).

Aberdeen JV (9-1-1) lost for the first time this season 4-2 to Centralia JV in the season finale on Monday.

Centralia 1 1 0 0 1 – 3

Aberdeen 1 1 0 0 0 – 2

First half – 1, Aberdeen, E. Torres, 28th minute. 2, Centralia, Corona (Rojas), 40th minute.

Second half – 3, Aberdeen, G. Garcia (E. Torres), 55th minute. 4, Centralia, Osman, 80th minute.

Overtime – none.

Penalty kicks: Centralia 4 (Rojas, Carpio, Osman, Corona). Aberdeen 3 (J. Serrano, E. Torres, M. Avila).