Grant boys soccer falls short of state championship, loses to Beaverton in penalty shootout
The Grant High School boys soccer team lost 4-2 in a penalty shootout against Beaverton High School in the OSAA Class 6A boys soccer state championships on Saturday, Nov. 15, at Hillsboro Stadium, dropping the match 2-1.
It was the Generals’ first state championship appearance since 2014, their first appearance in head coach Erik Miller’s tenure, and the program’s fifth appearance overall. Grant won its lone state title in 2008. The team ends its season 16-3-1 overall.
“We knew it was going to be a heavyweight fight, and it was,” Miller said. “It’s heartbreaking for them not to achieve what they set out to do this season, but either way it’s just a really amazing group. … To be their coach and their leader, I’m proud of us no matter what and I would put us against anybody. It just didn’t go our way tonight.”
For a complete photo gallery from the state title match, click here!
The first 40 minutes were relatively uneventful, with most of the action being reserved to the middle of the pitch. Grant led the shot count 3-1, receiving an attempt each by senior Henry Wines and juniors Callum Broadfoot and Isaac Mautz. Mautz’s shot came in the 38th minute and had arguably the best chance of finding the goal, needing a considerable leap by Beaverton’s goalkeeper Mason Schinderle for the save.
Around five minutes later, Beaverton’s Giovanni Ruano-Aguilera delivered a pretty corner which almost led to a would-be assist, if not for Grant’s goalkeeper Travis Lobdell skying high and tipping the ball outward and upward over the goal.
The second half contained considerably more action, with Beaverton leading the shot count 5-4. In the 46th minute, Grant jumped on the scoreboard first, as Wines scored off his right foot courtesy of an assist by senior Gideon McDonald. It was Grant’s only goal of the night.
“I thought (Beaverton) were really well organized defensively and they played pretty unselfish soccer,” Wines, Grant’s player of the game, said. “They just… didn’t mess around in the back, and I respect that championship winning defense.”
McDonald managed a shot attempt along with junior Tommy Roberts and senior Owen Bonnin, the PIL’s Co-Player of the Year. Tied 1-1 after regulation, a scoreless overtime ensued.
The penalty shootout followed. Roberts and McDonald each made their penalty shot, while Broadfoot and junior Ewan Massimo misfired. Beaverton’s Cal Spear clinched the state title with his kick.
For the entire game, Grant led the shot count 9-8. Beaverton registered six corner kicks against Grant’s three attempts. Lobdell had two saves and Schinderle had four. The Generals recorded 15 fouls while Beaverton had nine.
Although Grant fell just short of the mountain top, it was certainly still a fruitful season, one which saw Miller reach 122 total wins with the Generals, an unbeaten league record and a second consecutive league title (shared last year with Franklin and Lincoln), the program’s fourth league title in the last five years.
And, of course, it was a season filled with memories for a group that contains 10 seniors.
“I’ve been with the varsity program for three years now and we always fell short in the semis the past two years, and getting over that hump against some of the best teams in the state this year (has made) me really proud of these guys,” Wines said. “It’s a really good time, like hanging out with these guys. This is probably the team that I’ve just enjoyed the most. I’ve had so much fun hanging out with these guys for the past three months.”
