The moments after a season-ending loss may seem like an ill-fitting time to celebrate, but Skyview boys soccer coach Colleen McKinney made sure to do just that when she addressed her team — many of them teary-eyed.
“Yes, it’s hard,” McKinney said. “But you say it anyway because the only way you move forward is by reflecting, being proud of your accomplishments and learning from those mistakes.”
That doesn’t make the end result much less tough to swallow.
Skyview lost 4-1 to Puyallup in the first round of the 4A state tournament on Wednesday night at Kiggins Bowl, in a game that team captain Michael Kimbrell said was far more competitive than the final score showed.
When Kimbrell and co-captain Andrew Harris, both seniors, look back on their legacy at Skyview, they’ll see the success they laid the foundation for.
During their freshman and sophomore seasons, the Storm did not make the postseason. As juniors, they helped Skyview get to the district tournament. And as seniors, they won districts and brought the program its first state berth since the two were in middle school.
But it’s hard for Kimbrell to celebrate that run in the wake of Wednesday’s loss.
“The senior class, we’ve had a rough ride to get to where we are right now,” Kimbrell said, “so it’s rewarding to make it here but unfortunate to lose at the same time.”
None of that is lost on McKinney, who coached many of the seniors all four years due to her time as JV coach.
“They are starting a tradition for Skyview soccer,” McKinney said. “Now Skyview soccer needs to pick up that baton and run with it.”
Harris noted many of the teammates have a tight bond off the field. A few of them play club together.
“Chemistry is what got us here,” Harris said.
Puyallup got on the board in the 29th minute, then nabbed a 2-0 lead going into the half after a deflection turned into a Skyview own goal.
Michael Kimbrell, the 4A GSHL player of the year, said they were simply out-played by the Vikings.
“The physicality and heart,” Kimbrell said when asked what Puyallup brought more of. “They wanted it too, and you’ve got to match that. We were slacking first half, they got a few lucky goals and it’s just hard to bounce back from that.”
Skyview’s Stephen Kiraly scored two minutes into the second half to pull within 2-1, but it could not convert any of its remaining chances. Puyallup, which also ended Skyview’s season last year at districts, put the nail in the coffin with goals in the 59th and 78th minute.
In her first year as varsity head coach, McKinney sought to implement a club-style brand of soccer that emphasized possession didn’t rely on physical disruption. Puyallup plays the same way, according to co-captain and four-year defenseman Andrew Harris. On Wednesday, the Vikings did it better, he said.
“They just played it better than us,” Harris said. “We can’t really do anything about it. We tried our best.”
