First Half

Not much happened during the first 20 minutes, but then both sides engaged gears. Nick Kalafatich, on loan from the A-League Sounders, and Peter Bergford earned the first two good shots, both coming from corner kicks by Nick Downing. Downing would take a dozen corner kicks before the match was done, all well-placed, some deserving to be finished, but none ending up in the net.

Cascade's Jason Iverson put the first shot on goal a minute later, but it was weakly struck.

Seattle's Chris Farnsworth, playing right mid, curled in a dangerous cross that was pulled off Bergford's head by Reese. Defender Mike Casale carried to the halfway line on the left and curved an accurate diagonal ball to Farnsworth on the right; Farnsworth's shot from the corner of the penalty area forced a diving save by Reese. Joe Partridge fired a 15-yard laser, but right into Reese's stomach. Ben Somoza was unmarked out from the far post and chested down a long cross with just time for a rushed shot, but he sent it wide. The past eight minutes had produced at least six good chances for the Selects.

For Cascade, Chris McDonald intercepted an unwise Seattle pass and made it to the end line on the left; he tried a shot/cross but hit the near side netting.

Back Seattle's way and 33 minutes in, Bergford's short, forward pass set up Partridge for a quick 25-yard shot that tried to bend into the top far corner but couldn't quite get there. A long throw-in was off Reese's finger tips, then off the top of Jeff Whiting's head, then off the top of the crossbar. From Provenza's cross from the left, Bergford was a yard wide of the far post from the 18.

A long Cascade free kick in the 41st minute was sent on goal by Juan Mercado, but right to goalkeeper James Dickinson.

In the final two minutes, Bergford put a pair of Downing corner kicks on goal. Reese leaped to push the first past the top left corner, then grabbed the second at the bar.

Halftime: Seattle 0 - 0 Cascade

51' Provenza. Early in the second half, Provenza carried the ball up the middle, looked around for someone to pass to, and found himself with an open look at an edge of the goal. He fired a low, 25-yard shot accurately past the defense and inside the far post for what would prove to be the lone goal this evening. SEA 1 - 0 CAS.

Just a minute later, Seattle's Kalafatich decided to try from the same range and his rising shot aimed at the top near corner was pushed over the bar by a fully-extended Reese. From the corner kick, Casale's shot hit the far post and went out. At 61' Downing curled a long free kick to the far post, where Bergford's header was on goal but pushed wide by Reese for a corner.

At 64' Iverson from 25 yards nearly punished Dickinson for being a few yards off his line, but the diving shot grazed the top of the bar and settled on top of the net.

Soon after entering for Seattle, Jamie Bloomstine worked the ball to the end line in the left half of the penalty area and fired a shot/cross that the diving Reese couldn't hold onto. The ball popped up above the supine Reese and Kalafatich was there, in front of Reese, staring at a ball that floated three yards from goal. Kalafatich volleyed the ball over the bar when he had nearly the whole 192 square feet open. Nick will see in his mind the instant replay of that chance multiple times over the next day, but tomorrow's match should erase the memory.

Seattle, with no backup goalkeeper on the bench, had a scare in the 68th when Dickinson took a boot in the face from Matt Olsen just after Dickinson slid out to grab a through ball. The match's first yellow card could have been given, but wasn't. After a few minutes, Dickinson stood up and finished the match.

Andy Laviene took the last good chance for Cascade, heading just wide of the near post from Chad Barkes' long corner kick. It was the the first and only corner kick for the Surge.

The rest of the chances were all for Seattle. Dayo Oyetuga, who had come on with Bloomstine, took a quick 15-yarder from the left side and only a fine, diving save by Reese prevented an insurance goal. On the resulting corner kick play, Bloomstine received the ball and dropped for Farnsworth, whose wormburner almost slipped through Reese's hands. Oyetuga won an air ball to give Farnsworth a shot from the top of the arc; the ball had top left corner written all over it, but Reese leaped sideways and with one hand pushed it away for a corner.

In the final few minutes Oyetuga had a chance to volley past an onrushing Reese, but Reese got there in time to force the shot wide. Kalafatich had the final chance, open out from the far post for a volley, but he shanked it wide.

Final: Seattle 1 - 0 Cascade

Statistics:
Shots: SEA 25, CAS 7
Saves: Dickinson 2, Reese 10
Corners: SEA 12, CAS 1
Fouls: SEA 15, CAS 13
Offside: SEA 3, CAS 0

Misconduct:
78' Kalafatich (SEA) cautioned for taking down Bishop

Referee: Kevin Boison