What soccer coach Alex von Reis Crooks termed “a far-too-physical ‘friendly’” (a non-league game) ended in a 2-2 tie at Eastlake on Thursday.
Bainbridge jumped out to a 2-0 lead, scoring in the 20th minute on Adam Brenneman’s direct kick after a penalty and in the 43rd minute on Kaj Hauschulz’s goal, assisted by Mitka von Reis Crooks.
Eastlake, one of the leading teams in the 4A Kingco League, tied the score on a pair of penalty kicks, though von Reis Crooks was critical of both calls.
“They were flops,” said von Reis Crooks. “The second one was so bad that the Eastlake player should have been given a yellow card. They already had two other yellow cards because the referee let the game get too rough.”
He cited the play of goalie Eric Smith and defender Calder Just.
“Eric had eight or nine point-blank saves,” he said. “And Calder cleared three balls off the line.”
That was in stark contrast to Tuesday, when Smith was primarily a spectator with the Spartans spending most of the game in the Cleveland end. They dominated play against the visiting Eagles, winning by a 10-0 score that could have been even higher.
Adam Brenneman scored the only goal that Bainbridge needed in the 11th minute, taking a long pass from Emmett Adam and beating the defense. The senior midfielder hesitated briefly, waited for the keeper to commit himself, then tapped the ball into the goal.
Lawrence Ream scored unassisted three minutes later. In the 33rd minute, Smith smothered an Eagle breakaway and Mitka von Reis Crooks led the counterattack, scoring on a tap-in on a pass from Andreas Lunde. A later cross by Lunde in front of the goal set up Adam, who booted home the fourth Bainbridge goal about 15 seconds before halftime.
Michael Gore scored 30 seconds into the second half with an unassisted goal. Kris Ley’s long clearing pass gave von Reis Crooks his second goal eight minutes later. Kyle Johnston gave the Spartans a 7-0 lead when his shot caromed off the goal post in the 65th minute, and two minutes later Rudi Pettersen’s cross set up Bill Bruns’ header.
Ley scored with six minutes remaining on a high cross from von Reis Crooks, who scored the game’s final goal and picked up his hat trick on a pass from Brenneman moments before the whistle.
Though the Eastlake game was played in a drizzle that grew worse, and the team barely missed the 9:50 ferry, the coach saw some merit in it.
“It was a good warmup for next week’s games,” he said, as the Spartans face Metro League co-leaders O’Dea at home on Tuesday and Seattle Prep away on Thursday.
