State soccer roundup: Franklin Pierce cruises past Tumwater in 2A opening round
It all seemed too easy for Franklin Pierce in its Class 2A state tournament opening round soccer game against visiting Tumwater on Tuesday night.
The third-seeded Cardinals controlled the action from the start, scoring a pair of goals in the first half and closing the door with a second-half goal to beat No. 14 Tumwater, 3-1 and advance to the state quarterfinals.
“The key was just working hard,” said Franklin Pierce junior defender Preston Soeum, who helped lead a defense that pitched a shutout until the 79th minute, when Tumwater’s Davyn McGilvrey scored. “I think we just went in really good, we were really motivated just to win our first game. We didn’t want our seniors to go out with a loss.”
Ivan Salvador opened the scoring for Franklin Pierce in the 13th minute, striking a half volley in the box into the left corner of the goal, a high-level strike that gave Tumwater keeper Lukas Stuart no chance.
“He’s always worked hard,” Soeum said of Salvador. “He’s a really good guy. I think it’s his second goal of the season. Everyone was so happy when he scored.”
The Cardinals added to their lead in the 36th minute, when Malachai Chang played a perfectly weighted through ball to Pablo Ramos, who punches it in, giving Franklin Pierce a 2-0 lead heading into halftime. Ethan Shoemaker delivered the dagger in the 66th minute, sneaking behind the Tumwater back line and tapping the ball past the keeper for the exclamation point.
Defensively, Franklin Pierce made life difficult for Tumwater, with strong back line and defensive midfield play.
“We knew that their guys up top (Dylan Stevens and Gavin Cuoio) were very fast,” Soeum said. “So we just started dropping, dropping a lot and all three center backs of ours — me, Jacob (Railean) and Loga (Sams), we’re really good in the air. So we just stayed back. Our middle defense is really good, we just worked hard.”
Tumwater ends its season with a 9-8-1 record. Franklin Pierce (17-1-2) will face the winner of White River vs. Pullman in the quarterfinal round, date and time to be determined.
4A
No. 10 BELLARMINE PREP 3, No. 7 EASTLAKE 0
Bellarmine’s Jaggar Judkins delivered an opening-round hat trick to push the Lions, the defending state champions, back to the 4A quarterfinals.
Judkins was the game’s only scorer, Bellarmine’s “relentless” junior forward and a 4A SPSL first-teamer. He was the MVP of last year’s state championship game, whose seventh-minute goal decided the title in a 1-0 victory over Skyline.
“Jaggar has a pretty relentless work ethic,” Bellarmine Prep coach Jim Dempsey said. “He makes things happen.”
Calculated and efficient midfield play from Dane Price, Zak Khan, and Henry Marlow allowed for Judkins’ onslaught. Senior goalkeeper Jayson Baldwin managed a shutout, his ninth this season.
“(A) total team effort,” Dempsey said.
Bellarmine hoisted the title in 2022 and remains one of eight teams vying for glory. The Lions’ quarterfinal matchup (and time) is to be determined; Bellarmine faces the first-round winner between No. 2 Tahoma and No. 15 Bothell on Friday or Saturday.
No. 13 DAVIS 1, No. 4 CURTIS 0
Juan Diaz’s last-minute score sealed it — an improbable, road upset for Davis over a top-four seed.
The Pirates are on to the 4A state quarterfinals, using Diaz’s goal for a 1-0 win over the Vikings at Curtis High School on Tuesday night.
Curtis was considered a title contender. Undefeated in the 4A SPSL throughout the regular season — and losers of only one district playoff game — the Vikings’ season ends suddenly.
The win was Davis’ first in the state tournament since 2012, per Luke Thompson of The Yakima Herald.
Davis enters the 4A quarterfinals, their matchup still undetermined. They meet the first-round victor between No. 5 Gonzaga Prep and No. 12 Union, either on May 19 or 20.
MORE SCORES
No. 14 Sumner 2, No. 3 Pasco 0
No. 1 Newport of Bellevue 2, No. 16 Federal Way 1
No. 2 Tahoma 1, No. 15 Bothell 0
3A
No. 14 BALLARD 5, No. 19 KENT-MERIDIAN 0
Ballard poured in three first-half goals and cruised to victory in the opening round of the 3A state tournament at Interbay Stadium.
The loser-out contest eliminated Kent-Meridian in what was their first state-tournament appearance since 1981, per Benjamin Ray of the Federal Way Mirror.
The Royals needed three straight wins in the district bracket last week to clinch a state berth, and Kent-Meridian got all three victories via shutout — the last over Bainbridge, 1-0, on May 11.
Ballard moves on to face No. 3 Shorewood in the second round at Shoreline Stadium on Thursday.
No. 13 MEAD 1, No. 20 AUBURN MOUNTAINVIEW 0
A second-half score broke a scoreless draw and propelled Mead to victory Tuesday at Union Stadium.
The loss ends Auburn Mountainview’s season, which held the state bracket’s final tournament allocation. The Lions blanked Bainbridge on May 13, 1-0, to advance beyond district play.
Now in the Round of 16, Mead meets No. 4 Edmonds-Woodway at Edmonds Stadium on May 19.
No. 15 LIBERTY (RENTON) 3, No. 18 STADIUM 0
Liberty blanked Stadium on Tuesday night, a convincing victory in the state bracket’s opening round at Liberty High School.
Liberty meets No. 2 Gig Harbor in the Round of 16 on Friday night.
2A
No. 5 ABERDEEN 1, No. 12 FIFE 0 (OT)
Junior forward Evan Cone delivered the game-sealing goal in overtime, which broke a scoreless draw and pushed Aberdeen into the 2A quarterfinals.
Fife pushed the fifth-seed Bobcats to the brink of elimination, though the loser-out contest, ultimately, knocked the Trojans out of state competition.
Cone’s goal at Stewart Field sets up Aberdeen’s quarterfinal meeting on Friday or Saturday; the opponent and location is to be determined.
1A
No. 15 NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN (COLBERT) 3, No. 18 LIFE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 2 (OT)
Northwest Christian delivered a game-winning goal in overtime, enough for an opening-round win in the state tournament on Tuesday.
The loser-out contest eliminates Life Christian Academy from the bracket and sets up a meeting between Northwest Christian and No. 2 Montesano in the second round May 19.
WEDNESDAY (MAY 17)
4A
No. 8 PUYALLUP 1 (5), No. 9 WENATCHEE 1 (3) — (PK)
Puyallup senior Jacob Goter delivered the game-sealing penalty kick, ending a marathon first-round match in the state tournament at Sparks Stadium on Wednesday night.
Following a pair of scoreless, five-minute golden goal periods, sophomore goalkeeper Alexis Cruz-Hernandez saved Wenatchee’s first penalty kick and Puyallup drilled all five to advance.
Goter’s shot was his second score of the contest. In the 39th minute, he converted the equalizer off a corner kick by Vikings midfielder Dean Williams.
Wenatchee drew first blood in the 33rd, though Wednesday’s loss ends their season.
Puyallup advances, now one of eight teams vying for the 4A state title. They draw perhaps the toughest test in the quarterfinals, a meeting with No. 1 Newport on May 19 or 20. Time and location are to be determined.
3A
No. 16 NORTH THURSTON 1, No. 17 MONROE 0
Farhan Moustafa punched in the game’s only score, good for North Thurston’s 1-0 win over Monroe on Wednesday evening at South Sound Stadium in Lacey.
The victory pushes the Rams through the state tournament’s play-in round and into Friday’s second round, where 16 teams remain.
Moustafa, a senior striker and Gonzaga commit, found the back of the net in the 60th minute. The clubs entered halftime in a scoreless draw.
Now, North Thurston’s road to a state title gets rockier. The Rams meet top-seed Lincoln (Seattle) at Interbay Stadium on Friday -- slated for a 2:30 p.m. start -- and must upend the bracket’s favorite to play in Saturday’s quarterfinals.
Wednesday’s loss ends Monroe’s season.
2A
No. 6 PULLMAN 4, No. 11 WHITE RIVER 0
Pullman shut out White River in the state tournament’s opening round and posted four goals, an emphatic win to push the Greyhounds into the 2A quarterfinals.
White River’s season ends following a second-place finish in the 2A SPSL, trailing only Franklin Pierce. The Hornets doubled up Lindbergh in the district bracket on May 9, 4-2, to clinch a state berth.
Pullman advances to meet No. 3 Franklin Pierce in the 2A quarterfinals, held either May 19 or 20; the time and location are to be determined.
