Puyallup and Curtis play to thrilling 2-2 draw. League title still undecided
After going down 2-1 to visiting Curtis on Monday night at Sparks Stadium in a boys soccer matchup of the top two teams in the 4A SPSL, there was no panic for the host Puyallup Vikings.
On a Dean Williams corner kick in the 61st minute, Zack Robertson redirected the corner to the far post and to the feet of teammate Liam Stoner, who was ready to provide a bit of magic. Stoner, who was within feet of the Curtis keeper, turned away from the keeper and flicked a crafty back heel goal into the goal to level the score.
Stoner’s goal proved enough to squeeze out a result for Puyallup, as the game ended in a 2-2 draw, delaying the league championship outcome until the final game for both teams this week.
“Just trying to get it in, anything that’s going to work, anything to hit it and just pray that it goes in,” Stoner said of his equalizing goal.
While the style of the finish may have been unexpected, the fact that Stoner was in position for the goal was planned. It’s a set piece wrinkle Puyallup has been working on this season.
“It’s a bit of a design of a corner kick and throw-in that we’re trying to do, so that is his thing,” Puyallup coach Matt White said. “We have a couple things that he’s supposed to be in a spot to try to get that. … What we designed is opportunities for him to be in that kind of a position. Worked his butt off to get in that position. Awesome, pretty exciting.”
It’s the second time this season that Curtis and Puyallup have played to a draw. The teams tied on April 6 in University Place, 1-1. Curtis senior midfielder Javi Luevanos, who scored a goal on a penalty kick in the 31st minute, said both teams are resilient.
“I think it’s just both our teams’ ability to bounce back,” he said. “All we want is to win, so we’re not going to let down no matter down one goal, down two goals, we’re just going to keep fighting.”
The game started with a Puyallup goal on a Dean Williams penalty kick, after Chase McMillian was fouled in the box. Luevanos tied the game on a penalty kick for the visiting Vikings, after teammate Elijah Johnson-Warren was taken down in the box. Curtis junior forward Andrew George put his team ahead in the 52nd minute on a perfectly-taken curling shot to the far post, giving Puyallup’s keeper no chance.
“Spectacular from him,” Luevanos said. “Couldn’t have asked for better. That’s what you want from your No. 9.”
Then Stoner tied things up again minutes later for Puyallup. The game went back and forth at a hectic pace until time expired, but neither team could find the game-winner.
Because of a funky scoring system in the 4A SPSL, Puyallup remains in first place with 40 points, despite the fact Curtis (39 points) has yet to lose a league game this season. The point system weighs assigns different point values based on whether or not games are played against division opponents. In crossover games, goal differential weighs into the scoring system. It’s not over yet, though, as both teams have tough opponents in their final games. Curtis faces Sumner on the road on Wednesday and Puyallup faces a surging Bellarmine Prep squad on the road on Wednesday.
Puyallup controls its destiny and can clinch the 4A SPSL title with a win against Bellarmine, while Curtis will need a win against Sumner and some help from Bellarmine to be crowned league champion.
“Whatever the next thing is, it will be,” White said. “We’ll give it our best effort with what we’ve got next.”
