Silas shuts out rival Stadium in key 3A PCL soccer matchup
Silas High School found the back of the net twice in the first seven minutes on Tuesday night. It was all the Rams needed to extend their lead in the Class 3A Pierce County League soccer standings.
Silas all but clinched the 3A PCL title with its 3-0 victory at home over rival Stadium. The teams had played to a scoreless tie in their first meeting of the year, back in mid-March.
That draw is the only “blemish” on the Rams’ record so far this season. Silas moved to 6-0-1 in the 3A PCL, and 9-0-1 overall.
Meanwhile, the Tigers (3-5-1 overall, 2-2-2 3A PCL) lost for the second time in league play and now would need an almost total collapse by Silas over the final four league contests of the season to catch the Rams for the 3A PCL title.
“There was some motivation,” first-year Rams coach Kyle Nothstein said. “We felt like we were unjustly disallowed from a win that first time.”
Silas got on the board in the fifth minute against Stadium and senior goalkeeper Levi Bieber. Wyatt Stevens was the recipient of a nifty crossing pass along the left end line from Joe Nichols, and Stevens tapped it in to the open net in front.
It was the first of two Nichols assists in the game. The junior also added the only goal of the second half.
“After the tie and all the talking, this had to be one,” Nichols said. “Especially since some of my club teammates are on that team.”
Two minutes later, Nichols was on the outside, left of the goal again. His second solid cross in two minutes found the feet Yusuf Mousa near the right post, and Mousa connected to stake the Rams to their early 2-0 advantage.
“Since we lacked such energy in the first game, we really needed to put it in this game,” Nichols said. “We had the hunger. We had the desire, and we got this dub.”
Stadium did find chances over the middle 10 minutes of the half. But the three times Tigers briefly found themselves with the ball free and approaching the net, Silas defenders closed the space in a hurry and made solid tackles to take the ball back for the Rams.
“Rivalries are rivalries,” Nothstein said. “I think they’re always excited to play Stadium.”
Especially with the 3A PCL title within reach. Four games do remain, but Silas has already beaten every team it faces from here until the end of the regular season.
The Rams couldn’t say that before this victory over Stadium. With a win over the Tigers now completed, the development of this Silas team is focused on bigger goals ahead.
“I think we’ve played good soccer all year,” Nothstein said. “I think we’ve created chances all year. We’re a team with ambitions to hopefully go deep in the state playoffs. Kind of our theme for the season, I told them on the first day after tryouts, their journey as a player is theirs. They have to own it and try to improve every day on their own.”
Some of that was seen on Tuesday, even, in the guy who had the big night. The coaching staff, Nothstein said, has been working with Nichols on staying to the outside and not drifting into the midfield.
“Today we saw that,” Nothstein said. “It works out well for us when he does that (stays outside).”
