EVERETT — Marysville-Pilchuck goalkeeper Kyle Bluhm put his postseason penalty kick shootout experience to good use Monday night at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Bluhm saved back-to-back shots then stepped up and converted a kick of his own to help lead Marysville-Pilchuck back to the state tournament for the third consecutive season with a 2-1 shootout win over Jackson in a 4A District 1 tournament semifinal game.
The Tomahawks (12-4-1 overall), the No. 2 seed from the Wesco North, went to spot kicks in three-of-four state tournament games (two wins, one loss) during a fourth-place finish in 2009.
Bluhm, a junior, hopes the Tomahawks don’t venture down that same high-stress road in this year’s tournament.
“I was very nervous, I don’t know why I was but I was feeling a lot different than last year,” Bluhm said. “Last year we ended up going every game to PKs, I kind of hope it doesn’t finish out that way this year.”
“Getting that first save though was really momentous and it brought my spirits up,” Bluhm added. “I was pumped, I was ready.”
Senior Juan Guadarrama converted the game-winning penalty kick giving Marysville-Pilchuck the win (4-2) and a matchup with North No. 1 seed Lake Stevens on Friday in the district championship game.
Marysville-Pilchuck’s trip to state was in danger early on when Jackson, the South No. 1 seed, earned a penalty kick in the 25th minute.
Jackson (10-7-0) midfielder Ryan Ptacek was taken down from behind by Emmanuel Moreno and senior forward Brian Lefavour stepped up to take the kick.
Lefavour’s effort was saved by Bluhm, but Lefavour was able to tap in the rebound to give Jackson a 1-0 advantage it would hold until the second half.
“Emmanuel Moreno was ball watching and the guy got behind him and then (Ptacek) went over to make a play and got knocked down,” Marysville-Pilchuck head coach Geoff Kittle said. “But Moreno did good once he got back out there in the second half.”
The Tomahawks, who have played much of the season without University of Washington signee John Crenshaw and were also missing senior defender Terance Johnson with a high ankle sprain, turned up the pressure after halftime.
“Once our guys decided to start to play together, combining passes and settling down the game, then we played a lot better,” Kittle said. “Some guys were a little bit nervous, other guys were a little unsure of things, once we settled in and we were able to keep possession and I think that turned the tide for us a little bit.”
Seattle University signee Brady Ballew was taken down in the box while leaping for a cross in the 44th minute and earned a penalty kick for the Tomahawks.
Defender Keir Torkorla converted the shot and tied the contest with a penalty kick that was sure to earn the senior a few style points. Instead of stepping off a few yards, collecting himself and taking a shot — Torkorla took a running start from about 25 yards away, split two Jackson defenders waiting at the top of the 18-yard box and rifled a shot past Jackson keeper Hayden Addington.
“I think his deal is he has to kick the ball moving because he’s a defender. That’s how he’s always done it,” Kittle said with a laugh. “I don’t think he’s trying to showboat or anything. If he had to stop and take it, he’d probably miss it.”
Addington, who made seven saves in the game, played well between the posts for Jackson, which nearly took a one-goal lead in the 62nd minute when Lefavour hit the post after taking a flick pass from Mason Legault.
The Timberwolves, looking for their first trip to the Class 4A state tournament, face the Arlington/Kamiak winner today in a loser-out contest.
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