High school boys soccer: State tournament roundup
MAY 21
4A
NO. 5 BELLARMINE PREP 1, NO. 4 NEWPORT 0
The Lions and Knights fought an intense game of soccer for the first 55 minutes of their matchup. But that’s when the game broke open for Bellarmine.
Attacking the Newport defense, sophomore Jaggar Judkins found teammate senior Peter Radovich. Radovich accelerated past the Knights’ defense and tucked it away nicely for the only score of the game.
“It was an intense battle from start to finish, great game. There was back and forth pressure the whole time. We talk about fighting from start to finish,” said coach Jim Dempsey. “After we scored, we didn’t change anything and had a couple more opportunities. We defend and attack as 11 on the field. Our team defense was great, as Jayson Baldwin had an amazing save at the end. The entire team has to be exhausted, as Newport comes at you and attacks in numbers. They were on top of us all the time and didn’t give up an inch.”
Junior Jayson Baldwin in the goal for the Lions earned the clean sheet as he didn’t let anything get past him. And with that kind of performance, Bellarmine now plays in the state semifinals against No. 1 Pasco.
Their game will happen at 6 p.m. Friday, May 27 at Sparks Stadium.
Goal: (BP) Peter Radovich (Jaggar Judkins) 55’
Shutout: Jayson Baldwin
3A
NO. 2 LAKESIDE 4, NO. 10 PENINSULA 1
The Lions jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before the half that rattled the Seahawks.
Although coach Ozer Kocdemir and his squad rallied and believed that they could muster a comeback, Lakeside’s offense was too much for Peninsula to come back from.
The Seahawks played with a few key injuries as well, as junior Frankie Cross broke one of his ribs and senior Reilly Leahy nursed a head injury.
“It didn’t work out for us. They started stronger, faster and although we did defend well, they were up 2-0 right before the half and it took the air out of the team,” Kocdemir said. “I think we had a good halftime talk. We believed we could turn it around, but they scored a cheap third goal and then a penalty kick. At one point it was 4-0. It was impressive to see them play hard all the way through the end. I am proud of how they showed that resolve. We want to go out with our best effort at the end of the day. Overall, I think everyone thinks it’s been a fun year and it’s a season we can look back and be proud of.”
Kocdemir’s first season will absolutely go down as a memorable one. The Seahawks won the 3A SSC for the first time in 15 years and finished as a top-eight 3A soccer team in the state.
And although there are key players leaving after their senior season, Kocdemir hopes to take this foundational year and build a better, stronger soccer program at Peninsula.
The Seahawks finish their season with a record of 13-4-2.
2A
NO. 2 SAMMAMISH 4, NO. 10 FRANKLIN PIERCE 1
Franklin Pierce’s season ended with Saturday’s loss to Sammamish in the state quarterfinals.
The Cardinals lost, 4-1, after a first-round win over Sehome on May 17.
Franklin Pierce (17-3-1, 15-2-1) took home the 2A SPSL title earlier this season and blanked North Kitsap, 1-0, on May 14 for a state allocation.
NO. 4 BURLINGTON-EDISON 0 (5), NO. 12 TUMWATER 0 (4)
During their match, neither the Tigers nor the T-Birds could swing momentum and capitalize on the opportunities that laid before them. Whenever there was action down on one side of the field, it would make its way back to the other side.
The defense and keepers from both squads stepped up big time as well. If there was a close attack, the ball would be cleared out and the process started over again.
Tumwater players were out on the field executing their game as well as they could. They had a consistent rotation going on as they were hoping to keep legs fresh for the long contest. It didn’t interfere with their communication either as they were always picking each other up.
Unfortunately, someone had to lose this competition and it came down to penalty kicks. As Burlington-Edison was able to sneak one more goal past the T-Bird defense, they earned another game to play.
And now Tumwater’s season is over.
“I thought the guys worked and talked really well. It’s been a weird weather year too, and that led us to rotating more frequently,” said coach Brett Bartlett. “Their communication was good as they were consistently talking through stuff. It’s all about demanding better from each other. This group of seniors were sophomores when everything shut down in 2020. Some of these guys would’ve been key role players on that squad. But as they grew up, they really did a great job of establishing a culture.”
The T-Birds’ final record on the year was 14-7.
MAY 20
3A
NO. 10 PENINSULA 3, NO. 7 NORTH CENTRAL 1
There may have been some overthinking, and there definitely was a 1-0 deficit coming out of halftime. But the Seahawks gathered their composure and made a huge comeback against the Wolfpack.
Just 11 minutes into the second half, the scoring onslaught began as junior Sam Sutherland lined up for a corner kick. Launching it with a good angle towards the goal, senior Reilly Leahy knocked the goal into the back of the net for the equalizer.
Leahy would get his second goal of the night off of a free kick in the 60th minute to put the Seahawks ahead of the Wolfpack permanently.
“They showed incredible character, especially when we didn’t play that good in the first half,” said coach Ozer Kocdemir. “We know how good we can play and we got back to how we know we can play by keeping it simple. They made me nervous though, but I am very proud. I told them at halftime if you give your best, that will make us proud. The key was not to rush going forward. In the first half we did a lot of long balls, but in the second half we calmed the game down and kept possession. it opened up spaces that we didn’t have before.”
In the 67th minute, the Seahawks scored their third and final goal from senior Justin Bodnar off a junior Dylan Ladds assist.
Peninsula will try to continue their incredible run in their game against No. 2 Lakeside at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 21 at Memorial Stadium in Seattle.
Goals: (P) Reilly Leahy (Sam Sutherland) 51’, Leahy 60’, Justin Bodnar (Dylan Ladds) 67’
NO. 4 LINCOLN (SEATTLE) 3, NO. 13 GIG HARBOR 0
The Tides just could not keep up with the Lynx as multiple mistakes led to Gig Harbor’s downfall and exit from the 3A state tournament.
In the first half, a Lincoln player was able to get behind the Tides’ defense and make it a quick 0-1 deficit. That put Gig Harbor on their heels as they tried playing with a little more tempo. However, they just weren’t strong enough challenging for jump balls in the midfield.
“Their team is very well structured. They run two up top and their sides play up high. They play well together, I thought we did a very good job but they capitalized on a mistake we made,” said assistant coach Jim Hagar. “We made adjustments for the second half and weathered the storm a little bit, but one of their players was able to take advantage of a mistake we made. They converted a free kick and from there, we did what we could to climb back from 2-0.”
After the second goal the Tides gave up, they tried to press for a goal to swing some momentum back their way but they couldn’t find the back of the net. The third goal for the Lynx was a garbage time goal.
The season for Gig Harbor has come to an end as they finish with a record of 13-5-1.
NO. 12 MERCER ISLAND 3, STADIUM 1
The Tigers defense could not find an answer for the Islanders’ offense as their season came to an unfortunate end.
Stadiums’ final record for the year was 12-3-4.
MORE SCORES
1A
No. 4 Cascade (Leavenworth) 4, No. 13 Vashon Island 0
MAY 18
4A
NO. 11 ISSAQUAH 2 (4), NO. 6 PUYALLUP 2 (3)
After giving up two goals in the second half, the Vikings were forced to go to a shootout with the Eagles. Unfortunately, the difference of just one goal was enough for Issaquah to upset Puyallup in the round of 16 in the 4A state tournament.
Sophomore Liam Stoner had a strong showing in the first half for the Vikings. After a broken play from junior Dean Williams saw the ball get away from him, Williams got the ball back and found Stoner for the goal in the 18th minute.
About 14 minutes later, it was junior Chase McMilian who found Stoner again and the second shot the Vikings had on goal went in.
“The windstorm was hard to deal with. We scored two against the wind and they did the same,” said coach Matt White. “We lost the game in the shootouts. Issaquah’s first half play was putting us under pressure, but we went at them.”
In the 43rd minute, the Eagles got a goal back. They scored the equalizer in the 78th minute, which forced two overtime periods and then penalty kicks.
The first PK for the Vikings was saved, while the Eagles scored theirs. The next three sets saw both teams score. It wasn’t until the fifth set when Puyallup missed and the game slipped from their grasp.
Puyallup’s season comes to an end with a 12-2-5 record.
Goals: (P) Liam Stoner (Dean Williams) 18’, Stoner (Chase McMilian) 32’; (I) 43’, 78’
NO. 7 SKYLINE 3, NO. 10 KENNEDY CATHOLIC 1
For this group of Lancer seniors, it was their first time in any playoff scenario in their careers. And for Kennedy Catholic as a whole, it was the first time the program came to play in the state tournament in 10 years.
Unfortunately, the moment got to the players as the Spartans scored twice in the second half to seal the game.
In the first 10 minutes of the match, Skyline was throwing everything they had at the Lancers. But the Kennedy Catholic defense weathered their storm and took control of the match over the next 15 minutes.
That’s when senior Nicholas Mariani was able to score the Lancers’ only goal of the game at the 25th minute.
“We did well defensively, that’s what we built our game plan off of. But, it was their home field and they came at us in the first 10 minutes,” said coach John Gavino. “We weathered their attack, we got control in that middle 15, and that’s where we scored. We played within ourselves. But then they scored in the 35ish minute range right before the half.”
The equalizing goal for the Spartans deflated Kennedy Catholic. Within the first minute of the second half, Skyline would score again. They would go onto tack one last goal later in the match.
Although the Lancers had their share of opportunities, they just couldn’t find the back of the net again. Kennedy Catholic’s season comes to an end, as they finish with a record of 12-6-2.
Goal: (KC) Nicholas Mariani 25’
3A
NO. 16 SEATTLE PREP 2, NO. 17 CENTRAL KITSAP 0
A high pressure offensive attack from the Panthers was too much for the Cougars in the play-in round of the 3A state tournament.
Thirty minutes into the game, junior Jackson Heisler scored the Panthers’ first goal. Five minutes later, junior Nate Dunfield got past the Cougar defense for the second and final goal of the match.
The Cougars couldn’t figure out the Panthers’ defense, either, as they were shut out by junior Spencer Besselaar in the goal for Seattle Prep.
For Central Kitsap, their season is over. They will finish with a record of 14-5-1.
Goals: (SP) Jackson Heisler 30’, Nate Dunfield 35’
Shutout: Spencer Besselaar
NO. 14 O’DEA 3, NO. 19 AUBURN RIVERSIDE 2 (OT)
O’Dea’s overtime goal broke a 2-2 draw and ended Auburn Riverside’s season.
The Fighting Irish advanced to the 3A state quarterfinals with Wednesday night’s win at Memorial Stadium in Seattle.
They’ll meet No. 3 Shorecrest, whose only loss this season was to top-ranked Mount Vernon in last week’s District 1 3A championship — in double overtime.
Auburn Riverside lost in the opening round of their district tournament but rallied for consecutive wins over Timberline and Central Kitsap to punch their state-tournament ticket on May 12.
2A
NO. 6 SQUALICUM 4, NO. 11 FIFE 0
Jordan Voight was Wednesday night’s “hero.”
Squalicum’s senior forward notched a hat trick, and the Storm blanked Fife, 4-0, to advance to the state quarterfinals.
“He’s their star player,” Fife coach Tony Crudo said. “And he put on a show.”
Voight netted Squalicum’s opening score in the first half and converted a pair of goals in the 41st and 53rd minute.
Squalicum forward Gurparam Singh added a goal in the 21st minute.
The Storm controlled the time of possession and cruised into the intermission with a 2-0 lead. Voight’s goal in the opening minute of the second half “broke (Fife’s) back,” and extended Squalicum’s lead to three.
“We were working really hard,” Crudo said, “but it just it’s one of those things. You’re playing a tough team, in their stadium, with a lot of seniors, and it just didn’t go the way we would have liked.”
Fife was challenged with a recent four-match slate across eight days, including three matches in the District 2/3 tournament that resulted in a third-place finish. Their playoff run ended Wednesday, but leadership roles assumed by Joel Garcia, Joshua Yinger, and Cole March guided the team to the state bracket, Crudo said.
“You can’t be a successful team without kids leading kids,” Fife’s coach added. “You know, I’d love to tell you that I’m on them all day, giving them the example they need to follow. We do our jobs, but the kids really lead the kids… I’m very proud of them.”
NO. 10 FRANKLIN PIERCE 3, NO. 7 SEHOME 2
Franklin Pierce rallied from a halftime deficit to beat Sehome on Wednesday night, 3-2, and advance to the 2A state quarterfinals.
Down a score at intermission, the Cardinals stormed back with a pair of goals in the opening five minutes of the second half. Marvin Soeum converted a shot in the 41st minute and the Cardinals took the lead on Ethan Shoemaker’s 45th-minute score, per Hailey Palmer of the Cascadia Daily News.
Sehome took an early lead when Asher Sullivan scored in the ninth minute. Franklin Pierce tied the match in the 30th minute on a penalty kick before the Mariners reclaimed their advantage on an Ethan Krebs score shortly before halftime.
MORE SCORES
1A
No. 13 Vashon Island 3, No. 20 Manson 0
MAY 17
4A
NO. 3 WENATCHEE 1, NO. 14 TAHOMA 0
The Bears’ season came to a close with their loss to the Panthers in the opening round of the state playoffs.
In the beginning of the game, neither team really looked comfortable on the pitch. Nerves crept up on both squads, and passes were not connecting. And even though it was a back and forth match, it wasn’t a pretty game until the players on the field settled in around the 20 minute mark.
It wouldn’t be until the 29th minute when the Panthers would score that the tie broke.
“Wenatchee’s defense and midfield did a great job getting out of trouble,” said coach Rick Maloy. “After they scored the goal, we made a couple of changes at defense and midfield to get faster players out there. We were able to keep the ball in their half for a majority of the second half. We pressed pretty hard, but couldn’t get the ball to go in. That’s how it is.”
The Bears’ season ends with an overall record of 10-8.
3A
NO. 13 GIG HARBOR 3, NO. 20 KENNEWICK 0
The Tides scored a first-round victory against the Lions to keep their dreams for state alive. Behind a counter attack that created scoring opportunities, Gig Harbor was able to make deep runs into Kennewick’s territory fairly consistently.
Leading the way for the Tides’ offense was senior Conner Louden. Scoring twice in the game, Louden played the ball very persistently. If the Lions played up trying to put pressure on Gig Harbor’s defense, the ball would get cleared out.
That left the middle wide open for Louden to score once in the 11th minute off a senior Jett Mangolna assist, but again in the 49th minute off of a senior Kaiser Keck assist.
“We were able to stifle their strongest attacking player, then counter quickly to force them at times five of their players back,” said coach Joe Ross. “That left the middle of the field open and we used it to our advantage. Our back line was rock solid. They prepared and played the long cross balls. Max De La Rosa and Derrick Shafer were both able to match speed for speed.”
This trend continued all night, and even resulted in Keck getting his own goal in the 78th minute from a Kyler Goodin assist. Senior Aiden Bartlett got the clean sheet for the Tides as well, not allowing a single Lion to score on him.
The Tides advance to the next round of the state playoffs where they will meet No. 4 Lincoln of Seattle at 5 p.m. Friday, May 20 at Memorial Stadium in Seattle.
Goals: (GH) Conner Louden (Jett Manglona) 11’; Louden (Kaiser Keck) 49’; Keck (Kyler Goodin) 78’
Shutout: Aiden Bartlett
2A
NO. 12 TUMWATER 2, NO. 5 PULLMAN 1
Pullman’s own goal in the 79th minute gave Tumwater a 2-1 win in the state tournament’s opening round.
The 12th-ranked T-Birds advanced to the quarterfinal round on May 20-21, with exact times to be determined.
Zackary Schmidt poured in Tumwater’s first goal in the 14th minute, and the T-Birds led 1-0 at intermission. Pullman equalized the match in the 55th minute, but let the ball deflect off a defender and into the net as Tumwater’s offense challenged in the penultimate minute of regulation.
“Guys were running around like crazy,” Tumwater coach Brett Bartlett said. “You know, you’ve still got time on the clock, and you’ve gotta get back and get yourself organized again. We were just super, super pumped.”
Fifth-ranked Pullman scored only once despite averaging 3.5 goals per game across a 17-3 season. Tumwater defenders Adam El-Mobdy and Pierce Yates were “controlling and guiding” the T-Birds defense through in-game adjustments, Bartlett said.
“Our center-backs were pretty dang stellar tonight.”
MORE SCORES
3A
No. 15 Edmonds-Woodway 3, No. 18 Bonney Lake 1
This story was originally published May 17, 2022 at 8:36 PM.