A penalty-kick shootout is never the way any soccer player or coach wants to settle a game.
But the Thomas Jefferson Raiders didn’t mind a shootout Wednesday night in the South Puget Sound League championship game against the Puyallup Vikings at Sparks Stadium.
Jefferson (13-2-2) goalkeeper Luis Roman made a pair of diving saves during the shootout, giving the Raiders a 1-0 win over the Vikings and the SPSL’s top seed into the West Central/Southwest District playoffs. Jefferson outshot Puyallup, 4-3, in the penalty-kick shootout.
The Raiders will face the winner of a play-in game between Kentridge (SPSL 10) and Battle Ground (Greater St. Helen’s 3) at 4 p.m. Saturday at Art Crate Field in a winner-to-state, loser-out contest.
After playing a scoreless regulation and a pair of overtimes, Roman led off the shootout by stoping the first penalty kick by Christian Rath to give the Raiders all the momentum they needed.
Jefferson netted its first four shootout goals came from Matthew Cruz, John David McCleary, Brandon Madsen and Roman. The TJ goalkeeper than stopped Puyallup’s fifth and final shot to seal the victory.
The Raiders were playing without their best player, Luis Osornio, who is in Carson, Calif., with 18 other other soccer players from across the nation participating in the Sueño MLS 2012 reality show.
Osornio is representing the Seattle Sounders FC on the nationally-televised player search on República Deportiva, the popular Univision weekly Spanish-language sports show. Sueño MLS 2012 will chronicle the tryouts of the 18 players in a “reality show within a show” format.
The ultimate champion, who will join a MLS club’s elite youth team, will be crowned on Sunday, May 13, live on República Deportiva.
Hazen 6, Decatur 3 (3A Sub-District championship)
The Highlanders’ high-powered offense was just too much for the Gators (12-3-0) in the SPSL/Seamount Sub-District Championship game Wednesday night at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood.
The Seamount League’s top seed scored a season-high six goals against Decatur, who won the SPSL 3A Division. Hazen got a hat trick from Frankie Johnson, who also finished with a pair of assists. The Highlanders (8-5-4) tallied three goals within the first 10 minutes of the game to take a commanding lead.
Decatur got a pair of goals from Taylor Weatherly and a single goal from Jimmy Hong.
The Gators will take on Mountain View at 11 a.m. at Highline Stadium on Saturday, May 12, in a loser-out, winner-to-state contest. Mountain View, from Vancouver, finished as the third seed from the Southwest District.
Federal Way 1, Kentwood 0 (SPSL 4A Tournament)
In a matchup between the two second-place teams from the SPSL North and South, the Eagles got the only goal of the contest just before halftime from Alex Lewis in the SPSL Tournament game at Federal Way Memorial Stadium Wednesday. Lewis’ goal in the 38th minute came on a pass from Colin Kim. It was Kim’s team-leading 14th assist on the year.
The 1-0 win gave the Eagles (14-2-1) the SPSL’s second seed into the West Central/Southwest District Tournament. Federal Way will take on Skyview at noon at Art Crate Stadium in Graham on Saturday, May 12, in a loser-out, winner-to-state game. Skyview finished second in Vancouver’s Greater St. Helen’s League, losing to Union in the league championship.
Ben Willis and Koby Craig combined on the shutout in goal for the Eagles. It was the 12th shutout of the season for Federal Way, who have given up a grand total of seven goals in 17 games.
Offensively, the Eagles have been led all season by Sean Rigney, who has 15 goals and 12 assists this year.
