The scoreboard clock at Walla Walla Community College had already expired after two scoreless 45-minute halves, leaving the dwindling game time down to an official’s wrist watch.
Then, Warriors sophomore Brenden Kenley broke loose and scored the only goal for a 1-0 victory over Wenatchee Valley in a NWAC East Region men’s soccer match here Wednesday.
“Good determination from the boys to keep fighting through the full 90 minutes,” WWCC coach Ben Rotert said.
Walla Walla (6-2-2 overall, 3-2-1 in the region) snapped a two-week funk, during which the Warriors sandwiched two losses around a tie.
Walla Walla’s win lifted the Warriors into sole possession of second place in the East standings.
“We needed this win,” Rotert said after Wednesday’s match. “We started off really well the first six games of our season, but we needed a little spark. The last couple haven’t gone our way. Hopefully, this catapults us going forward to get back in a good groove.”
Walla Walla goalie Jorge Llerenas made six saves en route to his conference-leading fourth shutout of the season.
However, Wenatchee matched Walla Walla in a defensive battle all afternoon.
The Warriors had mustered only three goals total in their previous four games, and Wednesday’s match appeared destined to end in a scoreless draw until Kenley found an opening as he chased down the lead from freshman Missael Lopez.
“I just had it in my head that I had to score because it was the last minute,” Kenley said. “I’ve got to give credit to the pass from Missael, coming in there off the goal kick. I saw the defender coming up out of the corner of my eye when I starting dribbling down the field, so I cut it back a little, passed him underneath and went straight to the goal.”
Kenley’s goal gave Walla Walla another 1-0 victory over Wenatchee.
The Warriors also won their first meeting in similar fashion back on Sept. 14, with Lopez scoring at the 83rd minute at Wenatchee.
“Wenatchee’s always a good opponent,” Rotert said. “They always give us a run. It goes back and forth. It was the same way a couple of weeks ago up there. They’re a good, disciplined team, very aggressive. They make you work for it. It was definitely tough.”
Article by Hector del Castillo of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
Photo by Greg Lehman of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
