SNOHOMISH – Ryan Nichols says he just “gets a feeling.”
Sure, he studies opposing players and tries to learn tendencies, but in the end, he says, it comes down to what his gut is telling him.
His gut came up with the right answers Friday.
The Roosevelt goalkeeper stopped the first three shots in the penalty kick shootout and the Roughriders stunned Snohomish 2-1 in a Class 4A boys state soccer game at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Snohomish led until the final 10 seconds of regulation, when a cross from Alex Rutherford from 40 yards out found the head of Carl Hase, who finished past Panthers keeper Daniel Carlson to send the game into overtime.
“I’ve never lost one like that,” Snohomish coach Dan Pingrey said. “In the second half, we knew we had to meet their intensity because we didn’t do it in the first half. We had chances in the first half and second half that we should have finished. The bottom line is, we just couldn’t get it done.”
The loss ends a remarkable season by Snohomish, which finished 16-2-1. The top-ranked team in the West region had a 14-game unbeaten streak snapped and will not make a return trip to the state semifinals. Instead, it is Roosevelt (13-4-2), which had to win its final regular-season game just to make it into the Kingco playoffs, who will meet either Thomas Jefferson or Bellarmine Prep on Friday at Sunset Chev Stadium in Sumner for a spot in the state title game.
“No one expected us to win this game,” Roosevelt coach Vadim Tolstolutsky said. “We weren’t supposed to be here. So all of the pressure was on Snohomish. We just went out and played with confidence.”
Neither team seemed to wilt in the unseasonable heat, as both squads put forth a strong attack for most of the game. But after a scoreless first half, Snohomish finally got a break when Nichols took down Brandon Crutchfield in the goal box six minutes into the second half and University of Washington-bound forward Taylor Cochran scored his 24th goal on the penalty kick.
Late in the game, Snohomish dropped back into a defensive stance to counter Roosevelt’s relentless attack and the final 12 minutes seemed to consist of one Roughrider shot after another.
First, Graham Stockdale split two defenders but hit the near post from 10 yards out. Three minutes later, Stockdale received a pass that slid through to him standing in the middle of the goal box, but defender Benji Nutu came from behind to knock the ball free. But just when it seemed as though Snohomish would escape, Hase’s head came to the rescue.
“We’ve just been on a roll and every game we feel like we can win,” Nichols said. “We just keep coming through when we need to.”
Snohomish shot first in the penalty kick round and Nichols dove right to save a Crutchfield shot. Daniel Lee converted for Roosevelt and Nichols, who will play at Pacific Lutheran next year, again dove right to knock away Cochran’s shot. A goal by Nick Gross gave Roosevelt a 2-0 lead and Nichols, this time diving left, saved a shot by Brian Ferrin. Carlson kept Snohomish’s hopes alive by making a save and Marcus Berry drew the Panthers within 2-1. But Hase fired a shot into the lower left of the goal for the game-winner.
At Snohomish
Goals-Roosevelt: Carl Hase; Snohomish: Taylor Cochran. Assists-Roosevelt: Alex Rutherford. Goalies-Roosevelt: Aaron Hagen, Ryan Nichols; Snohomish: Daniel Carlson. Records-Roosevelt: 13-4-2 overall. Snohomish 16-2-1.
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