By CASEY MCCARTHY

Staff Writer

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake girls soccer fell at home to rival Wenatchee, 3-1, in the home opener Tuesday night at Lions Field.

Both sides were firing, with a slew of shots in the first 10 minutes, Freshman Moses Lake goalie Gabriela Vela came with a huge stop eight minutes in to deny Wenatchee the opening goal in the first half.

The score remained tied at 0-0 going into the second half before Wenatchee opened up the scoring on a mishap from the Moses Lake defense. Vela made a huge stop on a breakaway goal four minutes into the second half, but was called for a handball because she was outside the box.

The Panthers struck before the Chiefs defense could pull ahead 1-0. Reigning Columbia Basin Big 9 Player of the Year Natalie Bunch evened the game for Moses Lake with a rocket shot with 23 minutes to play in the second half.

Wenatchee jumped back ahead with 16 minutes to play on a well-played cross inside the six-yard box. The Panthers continued with a deep shot with four minutes remaining, bringing the score to 3-1.

Moses Lake goalie Gabriela Vela said her first varsity start was nerve-wracking in the first few minutes.

“I’m a freshman and everyone is so much bigger and older,” Vela said. “But once I started warming up and getting into the game, I just thought, oh, it’s just like any other game.”

Vela finished with 11 saves. She said grabbing that first big save early in the first half helped build her confidence for the rest of the game. Moving into the rest of the season, she said, she has the confidence she can compete at the varsity level.

Vela said communication with her back line will be her main focus in practice for the next game.

Moses Lake head coach Liz Bigger said her goalkeeper coach told her before the season their junior varsity and varsity goalies were neck-and-neck. After giving the veteran the start in the season opener against Ephrata last Saturday, she gave Vela the go-ahead on Tuesday.

Last year’s starting goalkeeper Julia Lundberg returned to practice earlier this week and will add to that competition.

“It will be interesting to see how those two push each other and who’s gonna get that spot,” Bigger said. “As far as I’m concerned, that spot’s taken, so (Julia)’s going to have to challenge and take it away.”

Bigger said her concerns after starting this season 0-2 are with her midfield and making sure people are running around with a purpose. She said players on Tuesday would push so far back on defense in the midfield when the time came to counter, they were going twice the distance they should need to.

“Holding that shape, what we’re working on was moving as a unit,” Bigger said. “There are times where we did that, and then there were times when we absolutely didn’t.”

With just five practices before their first game, Bigger said they’re really now where they should be. She said she’s really proud of the way her players have performed after sitting out more than 400 days since last season.

The Chiefs are back in action on Saturday when they face off against Eastmont on the road.

Other soccer scores

Wahluke 3-2 Warden

Ana Andrade scored a pair of goals while Alondra Lozano added one for the Warriors in the win over the Cougars on Tuesday at Warden High School. Priscilla Elizarraraz and Grace Richins notched goals for Warden in the home defeat.

Quincy 4-1 Royal

Brianna Herrera, Emily Wurl, Sheridan Donovan and Nayeli Salazar notched goals for the Jacks in the win over Royal on Tuesday. The Jacks surrendered an own goal that put an end to the clean sheet for goalkeeper Jocelyn Schaapman, who finished with five saves.

Ephrata 0-7 Eastmont

Ephrata head coach Gary Klepec said the team lost its keeper to a concussion in addition to playmaker Lynette Sanchez in a quad injury in the Tuesday matchup. He said the team broke down after a mental error led to an own goal and hopes to turn things around against Wenatchee in its next game.

Othello 1-5 Shadle Park