Outlaws are state soccer champions

The Outlaws played with heart and determination, and bested undefeated, No. 1-seeded Stayton 2-1 in the state championship game held in Hillsboro on Saturday, November 14.

Sisters took a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute. Colton Mannhalter broke through two defenders, separated himself, went one-on-one with the keeper, and took a shot that found the back of the net.

The game went back-and-forth, and toward the end of the first half Sisters started to really control possession of the ball.

"It was a big game, and we definitely had some nerves out there on the field," said Coach Rob Jensen. "The guys really started to get comfortable at the end of the half."

The Outlaws held a slim 1-0 lead at the half.

In the second half, Sisters controlled possession the majority of the time. In the 64th minute the Outlaws had a breakaway opportunity. Jadon Bachtold went one-on-one with the keeper, but the Stayton goalie made an outstanding save. The Eagles put on a counter-attack, and scored in the 65th minute to tie it up 1-1.

"Our defense got shifted over, and their forward cut back to the middle and scored," said Jensen.

"At the half, we talked about what we would do if there was a sudden change in the game, and how we would play if they tied it up," added Jensen. "The guys listened and responded well. After they tied the game, our guys didn't hang their heads, but went right back to work. They put pressure on Stayton, possessed the ball up-field, played our style of soccer, and it paid off."

Four minutes after the Eagles tied the game, the Outlaws scored and regained the lead. Mannhalter received the ball in the middle, and slotted the ball behind the defense to Malachy Sundstrom, who went one-on-one with the keeper, and finished it into the side of the net.

Sundstrom said, "I was not wanting to go any longer than regulation, and knew we had to keep our momentum up, and we did. I was overwhelmed with joy and relief after my goal, and just knew we had to play solid defense for the last few minutes."

Sisters held on for the final 11 minutes, and claimed the state title.

"Instead of packing back, like we did in the last game, we moved up-field with each other, stayed connected, and kept the ball on their half most of those minutes," said Jensen. "That made it a lot less scary on the coach!

"At the end, everyone rushed the field, and the pressure in your body, that is almost crippling at times, releases," said Jensen. "And then you realize, 'Hey we've really done this.'"

Jensen told The Nugget that everyone on the team did their jobs well. They distributed the ball, and played their game under intense pressure from the Eagles.

Jensen made special note of Minam Cravens and Tristan Kaczmarek, and said that the duo played an amazing game at center-back against one of the best forward combos in the state.

Jensen added, "To have an undefeated season is pretty special. Jadon (Bachtold) and Colton (Mannhalter) were part of the 2013 championship, and were the nucleus of the mid-field at that time, but this year as seniors, they were the leaders and everyone relied on them. It was special to watch them mature into that position."

Cravens commented on the win.

"For the most part, we defended really well as a unit," said Cravens. "They had a couple of dangerous forwards that were skilled on the ball, but in general we shut them down pretty quickly. One of our strengths on defense is our chemistry, meaning that we always have each other covered if someone makes a mistake. When the final whistle blew, I was so excited and proud of this team. Being able to represent Sisters at a state championship was amazing, and I'm just so happy that we could send our seniors off with the best season we could have hoped for."

Sundstrom said, "After we'd won, all I could think about was how proud of my teammates I was, and all the hard work we had put in. In the end it paid off, and I couldn't have asked for a better group of guys to win with."

Just getting to the final was an unmatched drama for the Outlaws. The Outlaws won in a nail-biter shoot-out at home against North Marion (NM) in the semi-finals to earn a shot at the championship.

Teams were evenly matched and played a very similar style of soccer, and at the end of regulation the score was deadlocked at 2-2.

Colton Mannhalter scored the first goal of the contest at the 16-minute mark, and the 1-0 Sisters' lead held up to the half.

Ten minutes into the second half, Mannhalter burst through two defenders and scored another goal past the keeper to put the Outlaws on top 2-0.

North Marion scored in the 65th minute off a long ball that was deflected by a Sisters defender, and two minutes later scored again to tie it up 2-2.

The Huskies overtook momentum for a brief period of time and were able to capitalize on a few Outlaws errors. Sisters players rebounded well, and played with intensity and grit throughout the rest of the game.

Two scoreless overtime periods ensued, and then the Outlaws won 7-6 in an exciting shoot-out finish.

Minam Cravens was able to convert his shot to the right side, Malachy Sundstrom's shot went to the left side of the net, and Jadon Bachtold coolly sent the ball to the right side of the keeper for the score. After five attempts by each side, the score was tied 3-3, and each keeper recorded two saves.

NM made good on their next attempt, and freshman Asher Bachtold smacked it to the roof of the net to make it 4-4. Again, the Huskies converted, and Sisters' Colby Simeral buried it to the upper-right V and kept the score even at 5-5.

The Huskies were able to squeak a shot past keeper Ryan Funk, but Sean Willitts sent a clean shot in to tie it up 6-6. Funk made a diving save on a ball destined for the side-netting, and Anson Ricker followed with a smooth shot to the right to win the game. At that point players rushed the field to celebrate.

Ricker shared how he felt prior to his shot and after he knocked it in.

"Walking up, I was a little nervous," said Ricker. "When I compete in skiing, it's a lot more pressure, so I was more confident than scared. I wasn't sure that if I made the goal we would win the game. But I got a little lucky, and it went in. Sean (Willitts) and Malachy (Sundstrom) kept my nerves down and the tonto-vibes up before I went out to shoot. I was super-stoked on how Ryan (Funk) had made his saves, and really showed everyone his true talent."

Keeper Ryan Funk shared how he felt as he stepped in the box to prepare for the shoot-out.

"When I stepped on the goal line to set up for the PK, I blocked everything out of my mind," said Funk. "All I saw was the kicker and the ball. The only thing you can do at that point is guess a side and commit 100 percent. Watching Anson score that final goal, I realized that we just won, and we were going to state."