The Overlake School boys’ soccer coach Bob Bristol knew going into the season that he had a great team.
After all, the same core of players are back from last season when the Owls finished an amazing 10-1-1 in their last 12 games. So Bristol figured this season’s squad seemed poised for success. So far, so good.
The Owls’ dominating, aggressive style of play was on full display last Thursday as Overlake blanked the Cedar Park Christian Eagles, 3-0 — its third straight win — in an Emerald City League contest at The Overlake School.
A constant downpour that was torrential at times turned the turf field into a giant slip-and-slide mat, but the Owls found their footing and dominated the Eagles on time of possession once Bristol and his squad figured out their opponents.
“Cedar Park was real strong down the center field, so for us it was to get away from the center,” said Bristol about his team’s strategy. “Our center-mids are quality guys, but we definitely wanted to get it wide. After the first goal, the guys realized what they can do, and took control. They had a lot more possession after that.”
The 14-year Overlake coach also noted that his team has been working on keeping the ball on the ground more, allowing his sure-footed midfielders to move the ball around with less chance of a turnover.
The score was tied at 0-0 until Overlake opened up the scoring in the 22nd minute with a perfectly-placed penalty kick header scored by Sky Tweedie-Yates, assisted by Devon Schmidt. The Owls struck again just three minutes later scored again when Adam Greenberg found an open right side of the net for an unassisted goal.
Maintaining control of the ball for most of the game, Overlake bottled up Cedar Park Christian’s scoring opportunities. The Owls extended the lead to 3-0 early in the second half they tacked when Andrew Cunningham scored off an assist by Malcolm Griffin.
“We’re strong down the middle of the field with Devon Schmidt and Sky Tweedie-Yates, they’re so relentless defensively that they create a lot of turnovers and opportunities for our scorers to go forward,” Bristol said.
Senior goalkeeper George Dolack earned his third consecutive shutout and fourth of the season, in addition to admiration from his coach for his aggressive play.
“George had a really strong game,” Bristol said.
After beating Cedar Park Christian, the Owls own a league-leading 5-1 record, 6-1 overall. Overlake takes on Seattle Academy (4-1-1, 4-1-1) in a key league contest on Tuesday.
Bristol emphasized the importance of playing with a purpose and thinking out on the field.
“The kids actually see what we want them to do. Sometimes we just play, but now they’re actually thinking out there… they certainly have the confidence now.”
