Braves soccer team breaks into win column

There was no saving Grace in Marysville Friday.

The La Conner High School boys' soccer team saw to that.

The Braves won their first match of the young season with an impressive 4-0 triumph over Grace Academy, helping take the sting out of close losses to NW2B foes Friday Harbor and Mount Vernon Christian that opened the fall campaign.

Cameron Burks, Isa Rojas-Gonzales, Thomas Kitchen and Christian Fix – all among a core of key Braves returnees – scored goals for the victors.

Mason Wilson assisted on two scores, while Samuel Williams and Ray Baker each notched an assist.

La Conner (1-2) benefitted from its new attack-oriented game plan.

"We are going with a more offensive approach this year," Braves head coach Galen McKnight said afterward. "We have the talent to score some goals and the defense helps us play more offensively."

The Braves narrowly dropped their first two matches by a combined three-goal margin, falling 1-0 to Friday Harbor in its season debut. Last Tuesday MVC edged the Braves 2-0 in the season's second match.

Hurricane freshman Alex Dowrey and senior Julian Pedrosa provided the scoring for Mount Vernon Christian.

La Conner broke out of its two-game scoring drought in a big way against Grace Academy, which bodes well for what looms as a challenging NW2B playoff chase.

"Our league will be tough this year," McKnight said. "I think we have a good shot to make the post-season this year. We'll be taking it one game at a time."

Next up for the Braves is a matinee match at Lopez Island this Friday at 3:30 p.m. They return to Whittaker Field Sept. 28, hosting Coupeville at 6 p.m.