Under different circumstances, finishing the SPSL South girls soccer regular season with a 2-2 tie could have been downright disappointing.
But for Curtis and Puyallup, their game Thursday night at Sparks Stadium was so inconsequential that neither team even kept stats.
With playoff spots locked up, South Puget Sound League South division winner Puyallup played every girl on the team, while No. 2 Curtis kept its opponent alert by scoring back-to-back goals.
“It was Senior Night and we wanted everyone to get into the game,” said Puyallup coach Matt White. “The game had no consequences for the playoffs … It’s not all about wins and losses.”
Puyallup sophomore midfielder Jessica Udovich opened the scoring by putting a 35-yard shot in the net in the 15th minute.
“We’re prepping to go to state,” she said. “PHS has never won state and that’s our biggest goal. We’re just looking to keep practicing and keep up the intensity.”
Curtis sophomore midfielder Meghan Hillis responded in the 36th minute when she swept the ball past Puyallup goalkeeper Peyton Whalen and into the right of the net.
“We wanted to come out and avoid injuries and build up some momentum going into the playoffs, which I think we did,” said Curtis coach Frank Hankel, whose team tied Puyallup earlier this season.
Puyallup (13-1-2) had a solid chance to take the lead in the 66th minute, but the ball went up and over the crossbar on the right side of the net. It was the second such occurrence in a five-minute period.
Curtis (10-2-4) broke the tie in the 67th minute when senior midfielder Lanie Vinson got a toe on the ball in the middle of a scum and bounced it into the net from about 5 yards out.
Puyallup closed out scoring in the 73rd minute when sophomore midfielder Liz Griffith drilled the ball into the left corner from 8 yards out. Freshman defender Taylor Castillo was credited with the assist after the play involved at least three players.
“The second goal was gorgeous,” White said.
Griffith said that the team wanted to go out on a high note for the seniors.
“It was really nice because we still want to play like we’re going to play in the playoffs,” she said. “We’re not going to not play good because it doesn’t matter. It still matters to us.”
FOOTBALL
At Beamer 34, Bethel 14: Taylor Davis threw three touchdown passes, two to running back Caleb Waller, including a 29-yarder on a wheel rout with 15 seconds to go in the first half, and the Titans (2-7 overall, 1-7 league) cruised to an SPSL South win at Memorial Stadium.
The Titans had 257 of their 362 total yards in the first half. Meilo Tauala also tallied a pair of scoring runs for Beamer. Bethel (2-7, 1-7) lost its seventh game in a row after a 2-0 start.
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