Ambush wins President’s Cup

The Ambush, a Lake Washington Youth Soccer U-18 team comprised largely of Eastlake High boys, won the state President’s Cup title Dec. 7 at the StarFire Soccer Academy in Tukwila. The team, coached by Bill Fuget and John Sanders, beat the West Seattle Eagles 3-0 in frigid conditions. Jesus Garcia, John Sanders Jr. and Amir Shabaneh scored goals for the Ambush. The defense was anchored by keepers Raju Roleru and Erick Lo, and a backfield that included Eastlake’s Daniel Hodges and Thomas Laskowski. Eleven of the squad’s 18 players attend Eastlake High, most of them seniors. The Ambush scored early Sunday night, once on a drive by Sanders and then a header into the box from Graham Brew that Garcia converted. The Eagles struggled to threaten the Ambush in the second half, and a dead-ball strike from Shabaneh sealed the win. This year’s toughest match on the way to the state title occurred in the District II final against the Lake Washington Ruckus. That game was tied 2-2 until the final minutes when Matt Wilson, a Sammamish resident and a University of Washington freshman, scored a deciding goal on a breakaway.

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