By JASON LYNCH
Express Correspondent
The Community School boys' soccer team finished its regular season Wednesday with a gritty performance against reigning State 3A tournament champion Gooding.
Playing before an animated "Senior Night" crowd, the Cutthroats couldn't contain the high-octane Gooding offense and fell 4-1 in the High Desert Soccer Conference game on a beautiful evening at Elkhorn.
The host Cutthroats battled with Gooding during a scoreless first half. While Gooding dominated the offensive statistics with 10 shots on goal and five corner kicks, the Cutthroat defense showed typical resolve to keep the Senators at bay.
Seeming to grasp the importance of playing their last home game, the Cutthroats kicked off the second half with a greater sense of urgency and took the game to Gooding. The Senators (15-2-1 last year, 10-2-0 this year) were caught off guard by the energy of coach Richard Whitelaw's Cutthroats.
The fired-up Cutthroats were rewarded with a spectacular goal from junior co-captain Tim Kanellitsas in the 55th minute. He struck a missile into the upper corner of the goal from fully 30 yards away which brought a roar from the crowd.
Home fans hoped seniors Tony Martin and John Chrysikopoulos might win their final home game. But the Kanellitsas goal gave Gooding the wake-up call the state champs needed.
Leading 1-0 and with the bit between their teeth, the Cutthroats pushed for more. But that opened up the field and left them vulnerable to the highly skilled visitors.
< Gooding tied the game in the 65th minute on a goal by the excellent Jose Rodriguez. Showing the confidence and experience one would expect of a state champion, Gooding then turned the game on its head in a span of just three minutes.
Their first goal brought them back to life, and Gooding began linking passes and dancing around Cutthroat defenders. In the 68th minute, Fredrico Mendez gave Gooding the lead with an amazing goal every bit as powerful as the Kanellitsas strike earlier.
Two minutes later, Mendez streaked through the home defense and struck again with a brilliant outside-of-the-foot shot that keeper Tom Crosby (7 saves) could do nothing about.
Conceding three goals in five minutes was harsh for the hosts, who had battled gamely for much of the contest. Gooding sealed a comfortable 4-1 win with a final goal from Luis Patino in the 75th minute.
Whitelaw's "Man of the Match" was Cameron Jenner.
With his team beset by injuries and bad timing for much of the season, the veteran Sun Valley coach was left ruing the result.
"Conceding those goals in such quick succession just killed us," he said. "At Wendell (a 6-0 loss) we had a similar thing happen, where we fought hard for so long, but gave up four quick goals at the end. It's frustrating because our boys work so hard and then lose concentration for a few short minutes and the game is over."
Girls finish unbeaten in HDSC
Ranked second in the Idahosports.com 3A girls' soccer poll behind Snake River of Moreland (15-1-1), the Community School girls burnished their credentials with a 6-0 "Senior Night" home win over Gooding Wednesday at Sagewillow.
Coach Kelly Feldman's Cutthroats (13-2-0, 12-0-0 league) won the HDSC regular-season title in unbeaten fashion and posted their eighth shutout in 15 games. They won their fifth straight game—having lost this fall only to one of the state's top 4A teams, Twin Falls (13-2-0).
Scoring for the Cutthroats and adding an assist apiece were Ellie Swanson (23 goals), Hannah Dies (17 goals) and Jordan Fitzgerald (13 goals). Singles came from Freya Dickey (6 goals), Hailey Rheinschild (5 goals) and Emi Carr.
Community School sophomore midfielder Mason Noyes advances the ball with a header during Wednesday’s game won by Gooding 4-1 at Elkhorn’s Browning Field. Photo by David N. Seelig
