Jaden Annan set the tone in the first 11 minutes for the Capital boys soccer team Thursday night, scoring two goals in the first 11 minutes to boost the Cougars to a 5-1 win against River Ridge.
“It gave us that drive to put more in the back of the net and continue to create chances,” Annan said of his hot start. “We came in as a team wanting to set the tone in the first few minutes, and I think we did just that. The intensity was very high from the start, and we created multiple chances, which ended in goals being scored.”
Tanner Fricke gave Capital a 3-0 lead in the 28th minute off an assist from Quin Walz, his second dish of the night. Quinton Fisher’s 61st-minute goal from Asher Fricke was the first score of the second half, and Tanner Fricke secured a brace with his 70th-minute goal.
River Ridge’s Charles O’Friel used an Aamir McGeachy pass to score in the 76th minute.
Capital head coach Jeremy Richtmyre said the team deployed 20 different players who earned significant minutes during the match.
“The boys continued to build upon their recent run of form and created a lot of very good chances,” he said. “Ridge played with a lot of guts, particularly in the second half, and their goalie made some clutch saves to keep them in it.”
River Ridge head coach Daniel Arevalo shared that pride in his team's effort in the second half.
"At halftime, we talked about how we are at two different places and that in order for us to compete against the top teams, we have to play without fear of making a mistake and losing, and that we need to play with a state of mind of having fun and belief," he said. "At the end of the game, I told the lads that it took Capital several years to finally be at the top of the league and that I take full responsibility for the poor record and rankings because it doesn't accurately reflect the quality we have.
"As long as they continue to believe in themselves and each other and have fun, I know that they will turn it around because I see, especially from the underclassmen, the quality and desire to change this culture of losing and not feeling good enough," Arevalo added.
Capital (12-1-2, 7-0-1 Puget Sound League) have 12 wins this season after winning 12 combined in the previous two seasons. The Cougars will visit Timberline (6-6-2, 4-3-1 PSL) Tuesday, April 28 in their final road match of the regular season, while River Ridge (0-13-1, 0-8-0 PSL) will face North Thurston (8-2-5, 5-1-2 PSL) Monday, April 27.
