OTHELLO — The Ephrata Tigers (4-7-2) earned a competitive 3-2 overtime victory on the road against the Othello Huskies (5-6) Tuesday evening. Both teams are now looking to close out the regular season on high notes.  

“Great game, we had a tough first half trying to match them, they’re so fast up top and they have some really great through balls,” said Tigers Head Coach Gary Keplec. “We had trouble matching that and then we mixed things up in the second half, brought girls in and put girls in different places. We went back out and we challenged them.” 

The first half was strongly in favor of the Huskies. Othello held control of the ball for much of the time, putting pressure on Tigers goalkeeper junior Aiyana Valle, who made multiple key stops.

Bella Garza, a junior from the Huskies, was the first to score as she utilized her speed to create a gap and send the ball to the back of the net. Soon after Othello junior Mya Rivera had a strong offensive push and scored the Huskies second goal of the game. 

Ephrata’s defense worked to halt the Othello offensive front, which left the game at 2-0 at halftime. 

Returning from halftime, the Tigers had new energy which was translated into a score early on by Aliyah Laffrety. The Huskies worked throughout the middle of the half to score again and came close with a shot by junior Ezmee Perez but couldn’t extend their lead. 

Tigers sophomore Skarlett Sanchez-Medina proved to be a strong offensive threat Tuesday as she stayed aggressive on the ball and kept pressure on the Huskies goal. After an Othello push on the other side of the field, Ephrata regained control of the ball and with an offensive push starting at the midfield, Sanchez-Medina scored to tie the game up 2-2. 

Both teams battled hard in the remaining time they had in the second half, but neither side allowed another opportunity on goal, and the game was sent into overtime. 

The first five minutes of overtime were under Othello’s control as they kept possession of the ball and pressured Ephrata’s defense. The Tigers held strong to send the game into another five-minute overtime. 

The two teams battled hard once again but around halfway through the second overtime, the Tigers gained an advantage to make a run on the Huskies goal where Sanchez-Medina scored the game winning goal. 

“We made them make mistakes and picked up our offensive end,” said Keplec. “We got back 2-2 and finished up with a beautiful goal at the very end to win the game.” 

The Tigers coach said this win proved how far the team has come since they started out the season injured and struggled to win in the preseason. While it was tough to stay positive during that time, Ephrata pulled through as players are getting healthy and clicking together at the right time. 

“I told the girls, ‘We’ve got the momentum and we’ve got two more games and we’ll finish out strong,'" he said. 

Ephrata’s focus for the next couple of matchups is going to be on continuing what they’ve been working on and making more mix-ups whenever necessary, like they did Tuesday. 

Huskies Head Coach Victor Quiroz said Othello did a great job moving the ball and maintaining possession. The Huskies fought hard throughout, but struggling to score in the later parts of the game was ultimately what did them in. 

“It was a hard-fought game,” said Quiroz. “My girls were in there, Ephrata countered, and they just had that momentum in the second half, and we couldn’t find ours. It’s unfortunate, but it is what it is.” 

Bella Garza and Mya Rivera were both highlights for the Huskies during Tuesday’s game and have been key for the team this season. The Huskies coach said the two juniors complement each other’s play style on the field. 

“Maya’s just ruthless, she goes through every ball; she fights for every ball and that’s how she gets most of her goals by being that scrappy player,” he said. “And Bella, she’s quick. She’s tiny, but she plays big. They both scored today because they compliment each other and it’s a good mix to have with us.” 

Finding ways to finish will be crucial as the Huskies head into their final games of the regular season, said Quiroz, but as a unit the team is where they want to be. 

“As far as our playing, I think we played like we wanted to play,” he said. “It’s just unfortunate calls don’t go our way, but you can’t blame that on the refs. I always tell my girls, control what you can control and just go out there and play your game.” 

The next challenge for Ephrata as they head into their final games of the regular season will be against the Quincy Jackrabbits. The Tigers and the Jacks are both sitting at 4-2 for their league record as they battle for a top three spot in the Central Washington Athletic Conference. 

“I feel good about what we’re doing and I feel great about the way we’re playing. We’ve just got to push on through,” said Keplec. “We beat Selah, now we beat Othello, Quincy’s next. It’s going to take one game at a time.” 

The Tigers return home to host the Jacks Thursday at 6 p.m., and the Huskies go on the road Thursday to face Toppenish at 6 p.m. 

BOX SCORE 

EPHT: 0-2-1: 3 

OTHL: 2-0-0: 2 

    Skarlett Sanchez-Medina, a sophomore for the Tigers, rushes across the middle of the field and scores a goal against the Huskies Tuesday evening.
  

    Othello junior Bella Garza rushes after the ball during Tuesday’s home game against Ephrata.
  

    Ephrata sophomore Kaitlyn Wolther gains possession of the ball against the Huskies and begins to make a push down the field.
  

    Mya Rivera, a junior for the Huskies, makes her way across the field with possession of the ball late in the game against the Tigers.
  

    Huskies senior Brooklyn Hillman and Tigers junior Jill Linehan compete for possession near the sideline.