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Medical Lake soccer looks to stay on roll as GNL big dogs loom

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Medical Lake soccer coach Zane Higgins can't find much to complain about so far in 2010. His Cardinals are undefeated through five games and un-scored on as well.

The Cards finished last week with a 2-0 win over Clarkston at home and picked off Deer Park, 1-0 on the road to move their Great Northern League record to 4-0.

While they have the week off from GNL play - resuming next Tuesday hosting Pullman and on the road at West Valley on Thursday, both games starting at 4 p.m. - the Cardinals will not be resting over spring break.

"We are playing very strong defense," Higgins said." I'm very happy with the way we're playing back there."

In the win over Clarkston, "We did a great job of denying them opportunities," Higgins said. "The one thing that we could have improved in that game is creating a little bit more on the offensive end."

Senior Petra Lee had both goals for the Cardinals, "one of them was just a beautiful free kick from inside the 18. It was a direct kick in the upper corner of the net," Higgins said of the score 48 minutes into the contest.

The second Medical Lake goal in the 72nd minute came when Clarkston was trying to counter Lee's first score and the strategy backfired. "He (Lee) got a breakaway, got behind the defense and went 1-on-1 with the goaltender and put it away very confidently," Higgins said.

While Lee has the bulk of the Cardinals' goals, six so far, others like Gabe Lossurdo (3) and Taylor Satcher (3) are also finding the net. Devon Prince has been a playmaker, dishing out three assists to go with a goal through four games. "We are spreading it around a bit and our offense is up from last year," Higgins said.

"Deer Park on their field gave us some problems," Higgins said. He thought his team didn't play a complete game and was outplayed at times.

"Even coming in and having a bad day and a bad game like that we stuck it out pulled through and got the job done," he said. Lossurdo's goal in the 68th minute, plus stellar work in goal by Ian Graves were the difference.

Higgins pointed to the Cards not marking up well - playing man-on-man in soccer circles - and making keeper Graves come up big in the goal. The Stags out shot the Cardinals 15-5 with Graves making 13 saves, a couple of those big in Higgins' mind that "kept the score sheet blank."

Looking ahead at the schedule, "I think we have a little bit of confidence going into these games," Higgins said. "We didn't have a great game against Deer Park but we managed to pull it out."

Going into these games in the past, Higgins said the Cardinals have "picked their game up to another level when we play better teams."

Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.

"\ think we have a little bit of confidence going into these games. We didn't have a great game against Deer Park but we managed to pull it out/'

Medical Lake coach Zane Higgins



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© 2010 Cheney Free Press Cheney, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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