Last season, Puyallup lost in the playoffs on a shootout. Their 2018 response? Win 10 straight games

It’s a classic sports movie theme.

An undefeated soccer team loses its state tournament opener in a shootout to the eventual champions. The coach posts reminders of the narrow defeat everywhere the team can see it. The players vow to go to work right away to ensure they reach the finals the next season.

After winning three consecutive Class 4A SPSL championships, that’s not how Puyallup High School rolls. The Vikings were tied 1-1 with Issaquah after regulation and overtime in last year’s first round, then lost the shootout, 3-2.

“It was frustrating to lose,” Vikings senior defender and co-captain Grayson Nottage said. “But it helped us to realize we can play at that level.”

Ninth-year coach Matt White prefers not to reach backward for motivation.

“Only one team gets to be super happy every year,” he said. “If you’re living for the past, you’re living for something that’s no longer there. Our philosophy is, ‘Play for the next.’ ”

So far, Puyallup’s hunt for a fourth consecutive league crown is on target. The Vikings are 10-0 heading into Thursday’s match against undefeated valley rival Sumner (5-0-5).

“We have a very good team culture,” junior midfielder Elsa Bley, who is also a co-captain, said. “Every goal is a team goal. That’s what’s special about Puyallup.“

White agrees, crediting the Vikings’ depth and camaraderie for their success over the years.

“It always comes down to the kids that show up,” White said. “Our kids buy in. They want to be here. They’re excited to play in high school.”

Puyallup’s scoring balance is evidence of its team-first mentality. The Vikings lack a prolific goal-getter but have two players with six goals — junior midfielder Meredith Udovich and junior forward Sydney Evans — and three who have scored four times in senior midfielder Katie Cunningham, sophomore midfielder Chloe Casello and Bley.

Nottage and Bley’s leadership as captains also propels Puyallup.

“They are going to take care of their teammates. They’re great models of saying things the right way,“ White said. “We have another saying, ‘Mean no offense, take no offense.’ ”

The captains, who both play for Washington Premier during club season, see themselves as leading by example as well as verbally.

“I can read the play really well and know whether to drop back or take someone on,“ said Grayson, who hasn’t made a college choice yet but has scheduled a visit to PLU. “It’s part instinct and part experience.”

White agrees.

“If Grayson was a defensive back in football, she’d destroy people,“ he said. “She reads runs and interrupts them. She can literally go on 80-yard runs of her own. She’s got a great stride and great skills.“

Bley, who calls herself “a student of the game,” also has a knack for playing the game as it comes to her.

“I understand what I’m seeing on the field,” she said.

White admits he’s just a bit intimidated by Bley.

“I’d never want to arm wrestle her or try to match squats with her in the weight room,” he said. “Elsa’s the most physically fit human you’ll ever run into. She’s a holding mid, but she goes on runs, too. She plays from box-to-box the entire game.”

Bley, who wants to play soccer and study international relations in college, laughs.

“Well, I play soccer four or five days a week,” she said.

She’s also worked recently with a personal trainer at Velocity Lab.

Despite his team’s pedigree and strong first half of the current season, White believes the Vikings still need to guard against any hint of complacency.

“There’s nothing so dangerous as extended success,“ he said. “Our league is insanely tough. If you look at the West Central District and who gets through to state each year, it’s a bunch of (4A) SPSL teams. Playing the teams in our own league is a great preparation for postseason.“

The Vikings levelheadedness and team attitude give White confidence going forward. He quoted Morgan Easley, a senior who lost a season to an ACL tear, but has been an unsung standout in 2018.

“She gets no stats, she’s a kid a lot of people don’t notice, but she sees the game and drives people forward,” White said. “She told me, ‘It doesn’t matter what happens, we’re just going to grind.’ ”