Tri-City soccer squad one victory (or draw) away from playing in national semifinals
The Three Rivers Black girls soccer team continued its run at the U.S. Youth Soccer nationals on Wednesday in Orlando, beating the Strikers of Fox Valley, Ill., 5-1 in pool play.
The Tri-City team now plays Total Futbol Academy of Ohio at 3 p.m. (Pacific) Thursday in the final pool-play game.
The matchup is essentially a playoff game, as the winner advances to the semifinals on Saturday.
But Three Rivers coach Jason Quintero says his team has the advantage if it draws with the Ohio team, too.
“The fifth goal (we scored) seemed inconsequential at the time,” said Quintero. “Ninetieth minute garbage time goal. But it puts us one goal ahead on goal differential heading into (Thursday’s game). We had no idea at the time, as Ohio and Mississippi were playing simultaneously as us. So a tie or win puts us through.”
Wednesday’s win occurred with five consecutive goals for the 3RC team after Illinois jumped out to a 1-0 first-half lead. Claire Potter and Emma Haertling each scored two goals for the local squad, while Ava Suarez netted the final one.
Potter — who played at Pasco High School last fall and is headed to Western Washington University this coming fall — scored the team’s first two goals (one on an assist from Violet Duran, the other assisted by Meredith Winiarski).
Haertling then got in on the scoring with two straight goals — the first assisted by Kelsey Fulton and the second from Kate Hollenberg.
Kelsey Lovercheck assisted to Suarez for the final goal.
For the second consecutive game, Danika Galbraith and Lindsey Pasena-Littlesky split time in net at goalkeeper.
Youth baseball
Greater Richland Little League’s 12-year-old all-star team saw its season end on Wednesday night when the Cascade All-Stars beat the Tri-City team 10-1 in the loser’s bracket at the Washington State Little League tournament in Lynwood and Everett.
GRLL had been sent to the loser’s bracket on Tuesday when Woodinville won a winner’s bracket semifinal game 10-0.
Rodeo
Some of the top Mid-Columbia high school cowboys and cowgirls have had some standout performances this week at the National High School Rodeo finals in Gillette, Wyo.
Performances began on Sunday night and conclude this coming Saturday evening.
So far, the area’s best placings included a first-place finish in breakaway roping by Royal City’s Brynn Morgan in the Wednesday night program.
Morgan clocked in at 2.42 seconds.
In Sunday night’s program, Stanfield’s Gator Goodrich finished second in tie-down roping with a time of 11.23 seconds.
In Monday night’s program, Hermiston’s Alyson Terry placed second in the pole bending event with a time of 20.689 seconds.
Milton-Freewater’s Lauryn Riney placed fifth in the Tuesday night pole bending performance, with a time of 20.762 seconds.
And during Monday night’s program, Benton City’s MacKinzey Black finished seventh in barrel racing when she crossed the finish line in 17.761 seconds.
EWU athletics
The Friends of EWU Athletics are hosting a social from 5 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, July 27, at CG Public House in Kennewick.
A number of EWU staff and coaches — including head football coach Aaron Best — will be in attendance and talk.
There will be appetizers, a no-host bar, and a silent auction for those aged 21 years and older.
The event is a fundraiser for the school’s Nutrition Center.
For tickets, go to EWUAthleticsSocial.eventbrite.com.
Golf
Daniel Campbell of the Bellingham Golf & Country Club shot a three-round score of 197 (16 under par) to win the Rosauer’s Open Invitational that ended July 17 at Indian Canyon Golf Course in Spokane.
But there were plenty of local golfers who placed high among the 168 competitors.
Walla Walla’s Brady Sharp, representing Divots Golf in Walla Walla, finished tied for 10th with a 203 (minus 10).
Amateur Patrick Azevedo of the Othello Golf Club, finished tied for 16th. Azevedo, who plays for the University of Wyoming men’s golf team, shot a three-round total of 205 (minus-8).
And two local pros — Meadow Springs’ Jason Aichele and Zintel Creek’s Brad Elzie — both tied for 32nd, each shooting 209s for minus-4.
▪ The Tri-City Amateur is coming back.
Horn Rapids Golf Course will host the event on Aug. 18-21 with women, senior and open divisions.
It will be an individual stroke play tournament with a team game.
Cost to enter is $200 per person, and $190 per senior (55 and over).
Go to hornrapidsgolfcourse.com to register, and registration will end Aug. 13 at 6 p.m.
The Tri-City Amateur started around 1975, and was last hosted in 2007.
Cross country
Bruce Blizzard has been named the head cross country coach for the Richland Bombers, one of the better programs in the region.
This is Blizzard’s second stint as the Bombers’ head coach.
Blizzard was head coach back in 2006-2009, and he was an assistant cross country coach before that, and he coached on the school’s track and field team from 1991.
Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.
