BRUSH PRAIRIE — Prairie’s boys soccer team might be in its first week of postseason play, but in reality, it might be better to say the Falcons got a playoff headstart at regular-season’s end.
The turning point of Prairie’s season, longtime coach Michael Thyron said, came in their final two regular-season games: a scoreless tie against league-champion Mountain View and the offense scoring a season-high six goals in the regular-season finale versus Hudson’s Bay.
Now, after Saturday’s 3-0 shutout of North Thurston of Lacey to open the 3A bi-district tournament, the Falcons are back in a familiar place: advancing in the playoffs.
The win sends Prairie into Tuesday’s winner-to-state bi-district game against Wilson of Tacoma at Mount Tahoma High School.
Prairie is familiar with the ups and downs of a season, but it’s a 180-degree difference from where the team was a year ago. It finished tied for last in the 3A GSHL a year after reaching the state playoffs.
Now, players hope fortunes continues beginning Tuesday.
“We usually don’t win 3-0, and we weren’t in the beginning of the season,” senior midfielder Owen Clayton said. “We’ve been in waves all year. Ending (the regular-season) great is the best way, because we go strong into the playoffs. Having this success has been from our work all season.”
Saturday’s result pleased Thyron, Prairie’s coach, in many ways, including how his team capitalized early, something the coach said hasn’t happened at times this season.
Preparation, junior Lucas Tisdale, was a key contributing factor.
“Everyone brought their ‘A’ game,” he said.
Tisdale’s unassisted goal in the 45th minute capped the day’s scoring, padding Prairie’s 2-0 halftime lead off first-half goals by David Klimovich (ninth minute) and Riley Yuasa (20th). The defense also extended its shutout streak to a season-best three games. Gerrit Cochel had two saves in goal.
Prairie’s scored three of more goals five times this spring, including six goals in Tuesday’s win over Hudson’s Bay to cap the regular season. A win Tuesday qualifies Falcons into the state playoffs for the second time in seven years.
The senior said he and his teammates have a chip on their shoulder. Prairie last reached state in 2016.
“Next game,” Clayton said, I want to go out there and win. “I feel like if we keep working as a team, we can do anything we set forth.”
