Season Ends with 2-1 Loss in NWAC Quarter Finals

Pasco, WA - Three days after the Trojans defeated Portland Community College 5-0 on the road in the first round of the NWAC playoffs, the squad traveled east of the mountains to take on the #1 ranked Columbia Basin College Hawks.  It would be the 4th consecutive season that the Trojans have advanced to at least the Quarter Final stage of the tournament, and the 3rd time under head coach Kieren Raney in as many seasons that he's been at the helm.  Columbia Basin, is a somewhat familiar opponent as the Trojans faced CBC last year in the Semi-Finals falling 3-1.  The last time Everett traveled to Pasco, was in 2019 for a Quarter Final match up with the Hawks.  That match ended 1-1 in regulation and was not decided until after 13 rounds of penalty kicks saw host CBC come out on top.

Fresh of the largest margin of victory for a playoff match in school history, Everett entered town with confidence and got a shot on goal by Muhammed Darboe within the first four minutes of the match.  Then in the 20h minute EvCC earned a corner that was taken by Luis Carillo who found Reid Shaeffer to put the Trojans up 1-0.  For Schaeffer it was his 10th goal of the season, and Carillo's 8th assist.  Going forward however, goals would not be so easy to come by as CBC boasted the league's best defense allowing just 0.56 goals per match.   Everett did not get another scoring opportunity for the remainder of the half, yet held onto the 1-0 lead thanks to a solid defensive effort in their own right.  The Hawks only got off two shots, both saved by keeper Avary Olson.  

Columbia Basin came out of the half and earned a corner less than 7 minutes in, which produced a shot that Avary Olson had to deflect out of play for another corner.  The second attempt would produce the equalizer at exactly ten minutes in.  Perhaps still a bit shell shocked defensively, EvCC conceded a penalty kick on a call that may or may not have been justified for how physical the game had been played to that point.   Olson could not make the save and the Hawks went up 2-1. 

The next 30 minutes were played out at a feverish pace.  Seventeen of the game's 31 fouls were called in the second half, which included three yellows, all assessed to EvCC players.  Cristiano Whitaker got off a pair of shots, but both were off frame. The CBC defense held true to its reputation and did not concede another goal, ending the Trojan's season.  

Though the final outcome fell short of the team's expectations, the season was full of both individual and team accomplishments to highlight the 2023 campaign.

• The team held a top 10 ranking in not only the NWAC but nationally for much of the season, being as high as #2 in the NWAC for six consecutive weeks, and #4 in the nation ranked by the United Soccer Coaches association.
• This was the 6th straight post season appearance and 4th straight with at least one win
• The 12-2-5 record ranks as tied for the second most number of wins and tied as the least number of losses in a single season
• Head Coach Kieren Raney picks up a 4th playoff win, which is the most by any head coach in program history
• The 2023 team is statistically the best defensive team in program history with 8 shutouts (most in program history) and 0.89 goals allowed per match (lowest in program history)
• The 2023 team could also be the most dynamic offensively in history with 13 different players scoring at least one goal for a total of 68 goals scored which tops last year's 67 goals and now ranks as the most in program history
• Cristiano Whitaker led the team in goals scored this season with 20, which ranks 2nd in program history as the most in a single season, and currently leads the NWAC in goals scored.  He also had 3 assists to tally 43 points, which ranks as second most in a single season.
• Freshman Noah Harrison-Russell set an EvCC all time single season record with 15 assists and currently leads the NWAC.
• Another freshman Reid Schaeffer scored 10 goals and had 11 assists (2nd only in the NWAC to teammate Harrison-Russell) for a total of 31 points which ranks 5th all time at EvCC in a single season
• Muhammed Darboe was recognized as the week 2 NWAC offensive player of the week, and finished his career with 25 goals (3rd in program history) and 54 points (also 3rd in program history)
• Goalkeeper Avary Olson made a career 138 saves and recorded 12 shutouts, both of which rank as the most all time at EvCC.  For a single season his 7.5 shutouts ranks as the most all time at EvCC and his 0.750 save percentage ranks 5th all time.  

Although the 2023 campaign has concluded, two Trojans will get an opportunity to play in the NWAC All Star game on Sunday, November 12th.  Selected by north region coaches, Muhammed Darboe and Cristiano Whitaker will be two of 15 players to represent the north region in the all star match.  Three Trojans received honorable mention, Avary Olson, Aldo Calles, and Dilon Spahia.