Playoff Soccer: Lake Stevens Blanks Richland 2-0 Behind Noelani Tupua Brace
Vikings to face defending champ Skyline in the 4A State Quarterfinals Saturday on the plateau. Lake lost to the Spartans 2-1 last month in a hard-fought district matchup.
LAKE STEVENS — They got off the bus trailing 1-0.
That’s how it must have felt to the visiting #9 Richland Bombers, who found themselves trailing #8 Lake Stevens by a goal less than 20 seconds into the match — a deficit from which they would never recover.
In the end, the Lake Stevens Vikings (16-1-2) defeated the Richland Bombers 2-0 on a cold, blustery and wet night in Lake Stevens, leaving the Vikings just three additional wins away from a title.
Wednesday’s playoff win moves Lake Stevens into the 4A Elite Eight. The Bombers’s season comes to an end after Wednesday’s playoff loss.
The eighth-seed Vikings opened the scoring 21 seconds after the opening whistle, with sophomore forward Noelani Tupua ripping down the left side and uncorking a blistering shot from some thirty yards out, beating the ninth-seeded Bombers’ goal keeper to the far corner.
The ball rippled netting before the game’s initial minute was halfway through.
The initial goal was all Lake needed to reach the WIAA 4A playoffs’ final eight for the first time since 2018 and just the third time in the 2000’s.
More history is within reach Saturday for the Viks,
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