PUYALLUP — Despite a frustrating 2-0 loss to Interlake in the 3A State third-place game, Mountain View senior Justin Lufkin-Quant wasted no time getting a personal photo with the fourth-place trophy.
One of just two starting seniors — along with Andres Lopez-Garcia — Lufkin-Quant showed exactly what the sentiment was Saturday after the Thunder’s disappointing final four weekend at Sparks Stadium.
“I think we’re all pretty sad, but we’re happy we made it here and made it this far this year,” sophomore defender Justin Keanini said.
The Thunder’s fourth-place finish matches the 2012 team, and it’s the program’s third trophy in the past 25 years. The team finished the season 16-7-1 with a 3A Greater St. Helens League title.
“I’m proud of the guys,” coach Dustin Johnson said. “We didn’t want to end this way but we’re top four in the state and that’s quite an accomplishment.”
With such a young team, the Thunder feel the pieces are there for a return trip next season. Saturday’s improved showing went a long way toward backing up that sentiment.
After a rough go in a 3-0 loss Friday, Keanini was at the heart of the more impassioned play. His signature moment came in the 16th minute, when he won the ball from an Interlake attacker, beat a man up the sideline and slid a perfect pass to Elijah Thompson, who was wide open with the goalkeeper. The shot flew wide.
Seven minutes later, a long throw-in from Interlake’s Nick Peterson was headed home by Luc Debaupte to give the Saints a 1-0 advantage at the break.
“Keanini really stepped up, and has played solid for us all year,” Johnson said. “It’s something I expect from him.”
Interlake added to the advantage in a slugfest second half after Nathan Purvis picked up his second yellow card and was sent off. The Saints took advantage of the Thunder being down to 10 men, intercepted a back pass and took a shot that Mountain View goalkeeper Cole Taylor deflected into the trailing runner, Interlake’s Rahul Sehgal, who slipped it inside the post for a 2-0 advantage in the 78th minute.
“It was definitely a learning process for us,” Johnson said. “It’s a completely different atmosphere: staying in the hotel, the warmups; everything is just different.”
But the Thunder, who return most of their squad next season, are confident it will be able to use that experience in next year’s final four.
“I believe we can do that,” Keanini said. “We’re a good team, and only getting better each year.”
