Weaver wins it for Sounders

If not for rookie forward Cam Weaver, the Seattle Sounders' 2006 season might already be a lost cause.

Weaver provided the difference once again as the Sounders extended their unbeaten streak to three matches with a tough 2-1 decision over the Puerto Rico Islanders in a United Soccer Leagues (USL) First Division match on Wednesday night in front of 2,166 fans at Qwest Field.

Weaver, a Kent native and one of the final players to make the preseason cut, scored the winning goal in the 73rd minute.

"The guy has one intangible I wish more of my guys had, and that's the desire to win," Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said of Weaver, a product of Seattle University who now has two game-winning goals. "It's not just lip service with him. He applies what he's thinking."

Seattle (4-7-4, 16 points) continues to improve its USL First Division standing since suffering a five-game losing streak on the road earlier this month. The Sounders avenged a blowout loss at Puerto Rico 12 days ago.

The Islanders (6-5-2, 20 points) had plenty of scoring chances in the second half, but Seattle's rookie goalkeeper, Chris Eylander, withstood the pressure with three of his four saves after halftime.

The 6-foot-4 Weaver tallied his league-leading 10th goal of the season for the winner on a breakaway in the 73rd minute, giving the Sounders a 2-1 lead that it preserved.

The Seattle rookie collected a pass from Andrew Gregor and chipped it over a drawn-out Puerto Rico goalkeeper Dan Kennedy to start the scoring play. Then Weaver chased the ball down after falling to the turf when Kennedy bumped him and tapped the ball into the right corner of the open net.

"[Kennedy] caught me with his boot," said Weaver, who also has three goals that have preserved ties this season. "He tried to take me out and prevent me from scoring. I thought it would be better if I got up quickly and tapped it in instead of getting a PK [penalty kick]."