EVERETT — The Archbishop Murphy High School boys soccer team got the defense of its 2A state title started in emphatic fashion Tuesday night at Terry Ennis Stadium.
Matt Williams scored a hat trick, and the Wildcats thumped the North Kitsap Vikings 5-0 in the first round of the 2A state tournament.
Isaac Feeney and Jensen Crisler also scored for Archbishop Murphy, which gave every indication of being a team capable of repeating as state champion.
“I think we’ve caught fire recently, after beating a really good Sehome team 3-0 (in the District 1 championship game) and posting six straight shutouts,” Williams said. “I think it shows we can really put away anybody at this point.
“I think it shows we have a large skill set, we’re solid at every position, can get goals from every place on the field, and everybody can contribute.”
Archbishop Murphy (18-1-0) advanced to host Aberdeen in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. on Friday.
North Kitsap, the No. 5 seed from District 2/3, finished its season 10-5-2.
Williams was North Kitsap’s main tormentor. He scored less than two minutes into the game to set the tone, then added two more in the second half to put the game away.
“That’s Matt,” said Archbishop Murphy coach Mike Bartley, who added that Williams now has 32 goals this season. “He’s our big finisher, and he finds ways of getting through defenses. But he’s also good at distributing and getting the ball to the guys on the wings. We’re really fast with the three right behind him, so the front four combine really well and set things up pretty good.”
The Wildcats took control with a pair of wonderful finishes early and late in the first half.
The first goal came less than two minutes after kickoff. Williams received the ball at the top of the penalty box and decided to have a go, putting his shot over North Kitsap goalkeeper Jordan Thompson to give Archbishop Murphy an ideal start.
The Wildcats then struck again in 31st minute. A good passing sequence culminated with Sam Johnson lifting the ball into the path of Feeney, who was closing on goal on the left. Feeney delicately volleyed the ball over Thompson and into the far corner to make it 2-0.
Archbishop Murphy then started turning on the style in the second half, creating several quality scoring chances before putting the result beyond doubt in the 54th minute. A mis-hit goal kick deflected to Williams at midfield, and with Thompson out of position Williams spun and fired a shot from the 50-yard line that bounced into the goal to give the Wildcats an unassailable 3-0 lead.
Williams nearly completed his hat trick in the 67th minute when he just couldn’t quite get the right contact on a diving header. But just 60 seconds later he did make the right contact, heading in Ryan Henderson’s long throw-in.
Crisler completed the rout in the 71st minute with a shot from the edge of the penalty box.
At Archbishop Murphy H.S.
Goals—Matt Williams (AM) 3, Isaac Feeney (AM), Jensen Crisler (AM). Records—North Kitsap 10-5-2 overall. Archbishop Murphy 18-1-0.
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