MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (1-5) earned a much-needed win Tuesday as they defeated the Selah Vikings 2-0 at Lions Field. For Head Coach Alysha Overland, this moment wasn’t a matter of if, but when.  

“We definitely needed it; we were due for one,” Overland said. “We've been putting in a lot of hard work, even in the games we've been putting in hard work. Just haven't gotten the results. This one feels good. Feels like we're hopefully turning the corner now and putting the work that we're putting into practice into the game.”  

The Mavericks got on the board early, finding the back of the net within the first five minutes of the game. From there, they kept up the pressure in the attack, missing a couple shots on goal while preventing Selah from creating pressure of their own.  

Both teams battled for control of the ball to open the second half. It was the Mavs who broke through eventually with a goal to extend their lead with about 25 minutes remaining. 

Moses Lake held the Vikings scoreless for the remainder of the half to seal their first win of the season.  

“They've been motivated the whole time. They've had energy the whole time,” Overland said. “It's just really come down to executing the little things, and that's something we've been harping on in practice all week long – and I think the girls bought in on it, and they had a good pep talk during their pregame. I thought we had a good one as coaches, and they just finally put all the pieces together.” 

First half 

Moses Lake applied the pressure via their attack right away against the Vikings. Efficient footwork and passing by the Mavs helped them find shot opportunities. One of which they eventually capitalized on when Mikayla Sawyer found Peyton Ross on a pass before she put the ball through the net, to give the Mavericks the 1-0 lead within the first five minutes of the game.  

From there, Moses Lake continued to control possession, rarely allowing the Vikings to advance their own attack. Ross, Chelsea Gonzalez, Erin Ribellia, Kamery and Reese Char drove the Mavericks attack throughout the first half while stunting any momentum Selah tried to build. 

The remainder of the first half went scoreless, allowing Moses Lake to go into halftime with lead.  

Second half

The Vikings came out of the break with more edge to them, being more aggressive to put pressure on any Mavs player with the ball.  

Throughout the half, they managed to push their attack and keep goalkeeper Emma Thompson honest. Though they had a few opportunities for a shot on goal, Thompson remained sharp, making multiple saves.  

The Mavericks attack went back to work in the second half, finding the net once again when Reese booted the ball in off an assist by sister Kamery, increasing their lead to a more breathable 2-0.  

From there, Moses Lake mostly controlled the ball as time ticked away. Reese had two more near makes where she was left alone to take a shot, but the ball hit the posts both times.  

“It's fun to see when you have siblings on the team too,” Overland said. “Kind of brings me back to the day when my sister and I were out on the field playing together. It's a little sister-sister action, it's fun to watch, and when they actually make it happen, assist from Kam to Reese, and it's exciting. It gets the crowd going, and it's really cool.” 

Once the final whistle blew, the Mavs could officially celebrate their first win of the season. They’ve faced a lot of adversity out of the gate this season, but even with a 0-5 start, they were competitive, finding themselves in a few shootouts throughout their schedule.  

Just like it’s challenging for the players, it provided its own unique challenges for Overland too.  

“Every year you get a new team, you get a new mindset as a coach and a new mentality throughout the team,” she said. “I just figure out what's going to work for my girls, what talks (are) going to work and ultimately just keep instilling the beliefs that I have in them. I have believed from the beginning this team is great, has so much potential, has so much talent, and so much to give. The whole time I knew we were going to turn it around. It's just kind of been a matter of when, and I'm hoping that now we hit that turning point.” 

The Mavericks hit the road Saturday to play Eisenhower at 6 p.m. before returning home to Lions Field on Sept. 29 at 6 p.m. to host the Wenatchee Panthers.  

BOX SCORE: 

SELH: 0-0: 0 

MLHS: 1-1: 2 

    The Mavs’ Reese Char (12) looks up the field for an open teammate to pass the ball to against the Selah Vikings on Tuesday.
  

    Chelsea Gonzalez (11) battles with a Vikings player for control of the ball.
  

    The Mavericks’ Peyton Ross (7) takes a shot on goal against the Vikings on Tuesday.
  

    Harlyn Magana (18) touches the ball down against Selah on Tuesday.