The top two boys soccer teams in the 2A/3A KingCo conference will meet on the pitch tonight when Sammamish travels to Mercer Island to take on the Islanders in the second match-up between the two teams this year.
On the line for the Totems is a league championship and the accompanying automatic berth to the 3A state playoffs. The Islanders meanwhile, will be looking to keep their own remote chances of a KingCo title alive and avenge a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the still unbeaten Sammamish squad.
Both teams picked up wins earlier in the week when Mercer Island traveled to Bellevue and left with a 3-2 win on an own goal from the Wolverines on Tuesday. Sammamish took down cross-town rival Interlake the same evening by a score of 3-1 behind goals from Duada Sonah, Taylor Berg and Nick Rooney.
The Sammamish offensive attack has started gaining steam in the past few weeks after struggling with nagging injuries throughout the first half of the year. With their top 11 now on the pitch together, the Totems have been dominate recently in shutting out three consecutive opponents before Tuesday.
“We’ve stepped up our intensity and realized it’s crunch time now,” said Sammamish sophomore Beau Blanchard. “We’ve definitely been strong on defense and we’ve started figuring out our offensive movement.” While the offense has improved, the defense has been stellar all season and is led by the play of keeper Stuart Ellsworth, who has recorded five shutouts on the year.
“Our defense is probably the most important part of our team,” said senior Taylor Berg. “We have a very strong defense and it puts less pressure on our offense knowing it’s really hard for the other team to score.” No team has scored more than a single goal in the Totems this year, which Sammamish coach Darryl Gonyea credits to communication and effort in the defensive end of the field.
“We’re doing well defensively in our communication and that’s where everything is starting,” Gonyea said. “I’m raelly happy with the effort they are putting in.”
After a draw in their opening game against 4A Bothell, Sammamish has rolled off 11 straight wins, including a 2-1 victory over the Islanders when the teams met in early April.
Gonyea expects Mercer Island will go to great lengths to get exact a measure of revenge on their home turf. “Mercer Island is going to come out and smack us in the mouth,” Gonyea said. “They are a prideful team and they don’t take kindly to being beaten.”
