The postseason in high school soccer is a whole new ballgame. Ties are no longer part of the equation and shootouts become a necessary evil in deciding who wins.
On Wednesday night, it looked like one of those dreaded shootouts was going to determine the South Puget Sound League champion. But Thomas Jefferson freshman Sam Clement didn’t let that happen.
Clement tallied the game-winning goal in overtime, propelling the Raiders to a 3-2 win over the Rogers Rams on the turf at Federal Way Memorial Stadium. Jefferson won the SPSL North regular season title and Rogers was the South Division’s top seed.
The Raiders (12-2-3) earned the league’s No. 1 seed into the West Central District tournament and will play Central Kitsap at 3 p.m. Saturday at Art Crate Field at Bethel High School in a loser-out, winner-to-state match. Central Kitsap (10-6-1) finished fifth in the Narrows League after beating Olympia at the league tournament, 2-1.
Rogers (13-2-2) will go as the No. 2 seed and play Curtis at 1 p.m. Saturday also at Art Crate.
The winning goal came four minutes into the overtime session Wednesday night. Most of the hard work came from sophomore midfielder Chase Hanson, who hit a low cross into the penalty box. Clement got a foot on the pass and put the ball into the back of the net for the victory. It was Clement’s second goal of the season.
The Clement goal ended a hard-fought and impressive game by both teams.
The Rams took the early lead by scoring a goal on their first shot of the match. In the ninth minute, Rogers midfielder Paulo Mendieta converted a header on a perfect crossing pass from Ben Trahan to give the Rams a quick 1-0 lead.
The Raiders, who controlled most of the action during the rest of the first half, converted on the equalizer in the 33rd minute when senior forward Ernan Roman headed in a corner kick off the right foot of Casey Kim. The game went to the locker room at halftime tied at 1-1.
But Rogers started the second half just like they started the first, with a quick goal. Sean Tollan converted a header in the 45th minute on a pass from Jeremy Maldonado to give Rogers the lead back, 2-1.
The Raiders responded once again seven minutes later when Lenin Ramirez scored on a penalty kick to tie the game at 2-2 in the 52nd minute.
The winner of the TJ-Central Kitsap game will earn the West Central District’s No. 1 seed into the Class 4A State Tournament. The 16-team state tournament will kick off May 19.
The loss ended Rogers’ six-game winning streak and extended Jefferson’s winning streak to six games. Roman has been a huge factor during the Raiders’ late-season run. The senior is Jefferson’s leading scorer with nine goals this season, including six during the Raiders’ six-game streak.
Kentridge 3, Beamer 2 (Wednesday)
The Titans came up one goal short at Puyallup’s Sparks Stadium Wednesday night at the SPSL Tournament. The Chargers got a late goal from Evan Estelle to snag the league’s third seed into the West Central District Tournament. Beamer advances as the SPSL’s fourth seed. Kentridge and Beamer both finished second in their respective divisions.
The Titans will take on the South Kitsap Wolves at 11 a.m. at Mount Tahoma Stadium in Tacoma Saturday. The Wolves finished third in the Narrows League. The winner advances to the Class 4A state tournament as the West Central District’s sixth seed. South Kitsap (10-3-1) beat Gig Harbor at the Narrows League Tournament, 1-0.
Beamer got a pair of second-half goals from Michael Manolides and Austin Sweeney to tie the game at 2-2.
But Estelle tallied the game-winning goal with just three minutes remaining in regulation, lifting the Chargers past the Titans.
Kentridge midfielder Scott Dunn gave the Chargers a quick 1-0 lead in the ninth minute and scored his second goal just before halftime to give the Chargers a commanding 2-0 advantage.
