SPSL 4A Soccer: Puyallup dominates 2nd half doubles up Sumner

4/23/2024

Puyallup 4, Sumner 2

(Puyallup, WA) The Sumner Spartans visited the Puyallup Vikings on Tuesday night in a critical SPSL 4A boys soccer match. The Vikings began in 1st place with a 1 point lead over both Sumner and Curtis, 31-30. However, the most points Puyallup can finish with is 43 and must win their final 4 matches to reach that mark.

Both Sumner and Curtis also with 4 matches left have the chance to score 15 more points because each still has a crossover match with a South division team where each can earn up to 6 points in that single game. Bellarmine was sitting in 4th place with 25 points, Olympia 5th with 18 then Bethel, Graham-Kapowsin and Emerald Ridge all tied for 6th with 12 points. Rogers and South Kitsap complete the overall standings.

As the 1st half began the stakes were clear as both teams came out aggressive. Puyallup made a deep run on the opening kick but missed. It didn’t take long for Sumner to score the opening goal in the 5th minute on a shot from Ty Brunner. 5 minutes later Puyallup’s Zack Robertson flipped the field and answered with a goal off an assist from Roby Hooper.

Brunner and the Spartans weren’t backing down and re-took the lead at the halfway point of the 1st half and it was Ty Brunner with his 2nd goal of the match. Sumner was up 2-1 with 19 minutes to play in the 1st half. It looked like that’s how it would go to the break but the Vikings had other ideas.

With less than a minute to go in stoppage time Zack Robertson fired a shot that Spartan keeper Kyle Goodrow punched out but the deflection went straight to Liam Stoner who connected quickly firing it in for the tying score before Goodrow could even react.

The late 1st half goal certainly shifted the momentum to Puyallup. Sumner had won the 1st half in time of possession and clearly the Vikings were focused on turning that around and did so right from the start. The front line of Puyallup along with the defense all were in a constant attack mode.

The Sumner defense held firm and on another night Sumner may have easily had 2 or 3 more goals but missed on some of their opportunities. With about 10 minutes to play the Vikings added a huge insurance goal that pretty well sealed the match. Roby Hooper who took the ball down the left side crossed over to midfield and fired a shot to the left side of the goal and scored to make it 4-2 which would be the final score.

Our Thorbeckes MVP award goes to Zack Robertson and our NW Hometeam Takin’ it to the House Play of the Game was the Roby ooper goal to seal the win.

The Vikings hold onto 1st place with a 1 point lead over Curtis. (See standings below) Sumner falls into a 3rd place tie with Bellarmine. Puyallup next plays at South Kitsap on Thursday while Sumner will try to rebound with another tough match-up hosting Bellarmine on Friday. On Monday the league Championship likely will be on the line with Curtis hosting Puyallup.

Other SPSL 4A scores from Tuesday Night:
Curtis 1, South Kitsap 0
Bellarmine 3, Bethel 1
Emerald Ridge 4, Graham-Kapowsin 1
Olympia 2, Rogers 2

Updated Standings (Pts Rem=amount of points each team can still win; Max pts=the most points they can finish the season with)

Team	Points	Played	Pts. Rem	Max pts	Place
Puyallup	34	10	9	43	1
Curtis	33	10	12	45	2
Sumner	30	10	12	42	3
Bellarmine	30	10	9	39	3
Olympia	19	10	12	31	5
Emerald Ridge	15	10	12	27	6
Bethel	12	10	9	21	7
Graham-Kapowsin	12	10	9	21	7
Rogers	7	10	12	19	9
South Kitsap	1	10	12	13	10