Everett, WA - It was an early Sunday morning kick off for EvCC's match up with Shoreline Community College, but it did not take long for the undefeated, and #2 NWAC ranked Trojans to get going. In the previous match up with Shoreline, the Trojans put up a 6-0 performance led by four goals from Cristiano Whitaker. In Sunday's match up with the Dolphins, Everett would put up 10 goals, Whitaker scoring five of them, and also getting credit for two assists.
In the first half, the Trojans methodically passed the ball around before Muhammed Darboe scored in the 9th minute, his 9th goal of the season and 23rd in his career. Fifteen minutes later Reid Schaeffer scored on a brilliant left footed strike from well outside the eighteen. It would be Schaeffer's 8th goal of the season. Fourteen minutes before halftime, the Trojans went up 3-0 on a Giovanni Castillo goal (his first collegiate goal) on a Noah Harrison-Russell assist. At the break the Trojans recorded 15 shots to Shoreline's 0, and forced the keeper to make three saves.
The flood gates opened in the second half and it was the Cristiano show once again as he scored in the 53rd, 58th, 59th, and 61st minute to put the Trojans up 7-0. Whitaker was involved in the next goal as well assisting Noah Harrison Russell in the 62nd minute. Noah had a solid two assist and one goal game bringing his season totals to 3 goals and 13 assists. In the 71st minute Shoreline finally got the ball forward on their best opportunity to score of the game. On a long pass, EvCC goalkeeper Connor Dahlberg came out to challenge and just clipped the Shoreline defender. It appeared as though the foul occurred outside of the box, but the referee awarded a penalty kick. Dahlberg, normally the reserve keeper for EvCC made one of the best saves of the year, diving to his right and keeping the clean sheet for the Trojans, preserving the fifth team shutout of the season.
Moments later after the big save, freshman Westin Galle scored his 3rd goal of the season by controlling a long throw in from Caleb Poddoll just inside the six yard box, turning and striking it past the keeper. Poddell got his second assist of the year via throw in. The man that started the goal scoring frenzy in the second half finished the game with the 10th goal, scoring in the 82nd minute. Cristiano Whitaker now has 19 goals on the season, leads the NWAC goal scoring list by four goals, and has moved up to second all time on the EvCC single season goal scoring list.
The win keeps Everett in first place in the north region standings, and hold the tie breaker over Peninsula at 16 points apiece. The Trojans will play their next game on the road, in the conclusion of the T-Trophy rivalry against Edmonds College. The Trojans defeated the Tritons 4-0 back on September 13th. With four matches to go in the regular season EvCC controls their own destiny and will guarantee the region championship by winning out over Edmonds, Bellevue, Whatcom, and Skagit Valley.