PENDLETON — Even after playing to a 1-all tie against Pendleton/Weston-McEwen on Thursday, Oct. 24, the La Grande girls’ soccer team is the 4A Greater Oregon League champions.

The game was a rematch of the lone league loss for the Tigers as the Buckaroos downed La Grande 1-0 on Oct. 5.

“We played much better this time,” La Grande head coach Chris Gianandrea said. “We had more shot opportunities in this match than we have seen in a while. Amazing more did not find the net.”

Just 10 minutes into the game, Paige Allen put the Tigers on the board on a goal off a corner kick. La Grande led 1-0 at the half before Pendleton snuck behind the Tiger defense early in the second half to even the match.

“We dominated the whole game, spending most of the time on their side of the field,” Gianandrea said. “We had 10 shots on goal in just the second half.”

La Grande (9-3-1 overall, 4-1-1 4A Greater Oregon League) ends the regular season atop the league standings and a No. 7 ranking among the state’s 4A teams.

“The success of this team this year goes to Sam (Brown),” Gianandrea said. “This was his team for so long and I just came in and didn’t goof anything up of what he built.”

Tiger soccer fans will have a chance to be in costume for the first round of the state 4A playoffs as La Grande is scheduled to host North Bend, the 10th seed, on Oct. 31. The time has not been set for this opening round of action in La Grande.

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER

Pendleton 3, La Grande 1

LA GRANDE — La Grande’s season came to a conclusion on Thursday, Oct. 24, as Pendleton downed the Tigers 3-1 on the field at Eastern Oregon University.

The Tigers finish third in the 4A Greater Oregon League standings and 24^th in the state rankings.

A young team this season, the Tigers will see only the loss of seniors Owen Seaquist, Keath Jones, Max Andrews, Pedro Campanha Buccine and Dalin Perry when La Grande takes to the field next year.