Mac Soccer: Boys draw; girls secure 'composed' victory in first games

Sophomore forward Izaiah Gavidia scored the Grizzlies’ lone goal Thursday, Sept. 4, as the McMinnville boys soccer team played to a 1-1 draw at South Salem.

Gavidia scored when sophomore defender Kelton Curry played the ball back into the box on an overshoot of a corner kick in the 32nd minute.

Mac had other opportunities to score and led for most of the game, but a South Salem goal with less than three minutes left evened the line.

“It’s a little frustrating that we were close to finishing out the game and just didn’t see it out, but I’m really proud of the guys and their effort,” head coach Adam Howard said. “The guys battled and played hard. I thought we were physical, and that made a huge impact in the game.”

Howard figured South Salem would be a challenge for his team to start the season, but overall play impressed him as the squad performed up to speed without a few usual starters available.

“We challenged guys on 50/50’s. We were trying to pick up second balls. I thought the repress was some of the best repressing we’ve done recently. So I think there is a lot of good to build on as we head forward,” Howard said.

The Grizzlies will be back to full strength this week as they play last year’s 6A No. 1-ranked Lakeridge on Tuesday and Mountainside on Thursday. Both games kick off on the road at 7 p.m., and Tuesday’s match can be streamed on the NFHS Network.

McMinnville was ranked No. 2 and Lakeridge No. 3 in the preseason coaches poll.

“Both are going to be challenging matches,” Howard said. “Lakeridge looks like a team that has experience, knows how to compete at a high level, and has this pedigree and belief in what they’re doing. It’s going to be difficult to break them down, and we’re just going to have to be at our best and capitalize on moments. We’re not going to get a ton of chances, and when we do get opportunities, we’re going to have to put them away because we may not get another one like it.”

Mac last faced Lakeridge on Aug. 28, 2018, and fell 2-1 at home. The last time they played Mountainside was Sept. 7, 2021, in a 2-0 home loss.

The Grizzlies’ girls’ soccer team celebrated a scoring frenzy on Thursday in a 4-3 win over Thurston. Beginning the year at home, Mac was composed and played with fluid movement, according to head coach Karly Mingus. Doing so allowed the Grizzlies to capitalize on multiple opportunities.

Freshman midfielder Cameron Baker netted the team’s first and fourth goals. Baker’s first came with seven minutes left in the first half after she stole the ball from Thurston’s goalkeeper.

Baker’s second goal was the decider for the Grizzlies, as an assist from sophomore midfielder Mayeli Wilson allowed Baker the chance with 29 minutes left in the second half.

Sandwiched between were goals from junior Tessa Ravia and sophomore midfielder Ruby Rojas.

Ravia scored the Grizzlies second goal of the game with a minute left in the first half. Baker assisted on the score.

Rojas’ goal came shortly into the second half with an assist from Ravia.

“It was a great game, the girls came together and played extremely well as a team,” Mingus said.

The girls’ next match is on the road at Southridge on Tuesday. Southridge is 0-2 on the year and won a single game in 2024. Mac returns home on Thursday, facing Milwaukie/Milwaukie Academy of the Arts at Wortman Stadium at 7 p.m.