Bellevue, WA – May 13, 2026 – Sy Hoekstra
Midlakes United 1, Bellevue Athletic 2
The third annual Eastside Classic ended Midlakes’ undefeated streak, but the result was largely a product of how Head Coach Ryan Faithfull chose to use Tuesday night’s pre-season friendly against the UPSL’s Bellevue Athletic. With no substitution rules in play, Faithfull, in his first match in charge, treated the game like a scrimmage. Every player on the game day roster got minutes, and Midlakes rolled out a completely different team for the second half.
The starting XI didn’t get much time to settle in. In the third minute, Athletic forward Owen Gortner sliced through the middle on a through ball that split the back line, finishing far post. Fifteen minutes later, Gortner did it again, breaking through after winning a 50-50 challenge with midfielder Allen Escalante and burying another shot to the far side.
Midlakes had their moments in response. Most notably, in the 35th minute, forward Patrick Dornoh broke through the defense on a counter and tried to chip a shot over the keeper’s head, but clanged it off the crossbar.
Then came the wholesale changes: ten substitutions at the break, and Will Ficek in for Fred Reiter as goalkeeper. The new side pushed back. In the 61st minute, Shotaro Sekinada — normally a midfielder but playing up top for the friendly — hustled through the middle, beat the back line, and chipped the keeper for his first goal in ice blue. Substitute Kavi Badh, also tested as a forward after a college season in midfield, brought real bite off the bench with three shots, two on target, including a free kick curled around the wall from the edge of the box. But the push wasn’t quite enough. The boys outshot Athletic 13-8 all told, but couldn’t find an equalizer in the final minutes.
A tactical foul from Midlakes newcomer Ilya Mohov, stopping a partial Bellevue breakaway, drew a yellow card in the 89th minute and underscored how testy the night got. There were 25 free kicks in total, and a heated visiting sideline.
