Yahizee Alvarado scored twice in the second half and the TIgers converted all five penalty kicks to beat Othello 4-3 in a shootout on Saturday, April 4. Four days later on Tuesday, Ephrata fell to Quincy 3-2 in a shootout.

With the split outcomes, Ephrata is 5-6 overall for the season and 1-2 in the Central Washington Athletic Conference standings.

April 4 vs Othello, 4-3 (W)

The Tigers trailed Othello 1-0 at halftime after Huskie Orlando Farias scored just six minutes into the game. Alvarado evened it for Ephrata in the 58th minute, but Farias struck again in the 67th. Not to be outdone, Alvarado answered with his second goal in the 72nd to tie, and Fernando Ramirez put Ephrata ahead 3-2 in the 75th. 

Othello's Julian Garcia generated a goal in the final two minutes for a 3-3 tie at the end of regulation, forcing the shootout. Avian Soto, Junior Chavez, Alvarado, Erick Perdomo and Diego Pichardo all converted for the Tigers to key their win. Ephrata keeper Isaac Blancas made six saves, and the Tigers overall put 14 shots on goal.

"Yahizee is an extremely hard worker," EHS coach Ivan Garay said. "He just wants to do what's best for the team. We told him we wanted him to take shots whenever the opportunity was there and he definitely took advantage of it."

The win carried extra meaning.

"Othello has always been a big rival of ours — games against them are always intense and high energy," Garay said. "Winning the rematch was big because this one mattered so much more. It was a league game."

April 7 at Quincy, 3-2 (L)

Chavez opened the scoring for Ephrata n the just the second minute on an assist from Soto. Quincy's Erick Zepeda equalized two minutes later, but Alvarado restored the Tigers' lead in the 38th minute. Brayan Nunez tied it again in the 55th, and the Jackrabbits edged the shootout 5-4 to collect the league win. Blancas finished with nine saves, while the Tigers took 11 shots in the game.

"Going to two shootouts says we can compete against anyone in our league," Garay said. "We have the heart of champions to stay in a game with anybody and beat anybody. Our goal is to win in regulation, but we're prepared for a shootout too."

Garay credited a rebuilt defensive line as a key factor this season. Tony Hernandez leads the unit, with Sebastian Gamboa transitioning from midfielder to outside defender and Damian Alvarez jumping from JV to varsity starter. Ivan Perez, Michael Medrano and Erick Perdomo have filled multiple positions, giving the Tigers added depth.

"It's a completely new back line compared to last year," Garay said.

Ephrata travels to Selah looking to build momentum on Thursday, April 16. The Vikings are 3-3-2 overall and 0-2 in the CWAC. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.