PUYALLUP — Shorewood boys soccer head coach Shaun Warner struggled to come up with the “right” words for his team. Sitting in a circle on the track of Sparks Stadium, some Stormrays cried quietly and held each other in the aftermath of a 3-2 loss in the 3A state championship game against Mercer Island.
Warner, choked up by the weight of the season coming to a close, could only tell the back-to-back-to-back District 1 champs and now state runners-up how much they meant to him.
“You guys will always be family,” Warner said to his team.
Warner found his footing as he went on, recounting how proud he was of his squad for continuing to fight down 3-0 with just over 11 minutes to play.
The Stormrays (19-3-1) were completely overwhelmed by an early second-half onslaught by the Islanders. Mercer Island added to its 1-0 lead from the first half by scoring on a perfectly-played set piece and a sneaky rolling shot less than five minutes apart.
Shorewood’s Niki Genadiev looks down as Mercer Island players run past celebrating a goal during the 3A state championship game on Saturday, May 31, 2025 in Puyallup, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
With the odds mounting against his squad, all leading goal scorer Niki Genadiev could think of was his 24th-minute penalty shot. After scoring a hat trick in the semifinal game 24 hours before, it almost felt like a given that the junior star would net the game’s opening goal.
But a diving save from Mercer Island freshman Adam Kiviat, who Genadiev knew from academy play, kept the Stormrays off the board.
Genadiev’s team didn’t hesitate to pick him up in the daunting moment.
“It’s nice to know that everyone has my back, even when I’m not having my best game,” Genadiev said, recounting how his teammates encouraged him to keep going after the penalty. “It’s just one unlucky moment. If I scored, the game completely changes — momentum and all that. But it’s a game of moments and that’s how it is sometimes.”
Senior goalkeeper Ivan Genadiev was also having a tough day, as the Shorewood defense allowed three goals for the first time all season. His team didn’t flinch, though, as Ivan and the backline withstood a second half almost completely dominated in possession by the Islanders.
Shorewood’s Ivan Genadiev punches the ball over the top of the goal post during the 3A state championship game against Mercer Island on Saturday, May 31, 2025 in Puyallup, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
The senior faced seven shots on goal total, but held firm after the third score in the 48th minute to give the Stormrays a fighting chance.
Without key junior midfielder Isak Medhaug, who went down with a left leg injury in the late first half and didn’t return, the Stormrays struggled to control the ball.
“On the technical side of things, (losing Isak) changed us quite a bit,” Warner said. “Just his ability to mark and win the ball out of the air and be kind of a point guard for us.”
Niki also played hobbled, as the effects of a leg injury from the prior match showed at times. Between the physical condition of the squad and a deficit the Stormrays hadn’t faced all season looming on the scoreboard, any sort of comeback felt next to impossible.
As precious minutes ticked off the clock and senior forward Matthew Bereket’s high school career, he had an epiphany.
“All it takes is three shots on target,” Bereket said of carving into the lead. “Everybody on the team is also on the same mindset, so it wasn’t hard for us to do that.”
Bereket, who always seems to play with a smile, cashed in on that enthusiasm in the 70th minute. After a Shorewood corner kick was defused by Mercer Island, Bereket sprinted to the rebound and launched a grounded shot through a crowd.
Shorewood’s Matthew Bereket lifts his arms up after scoring a goal during the 3A state championship game against Mercer Island on Saturday, May 31, 2025 in Puyallup, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Bereket scored and the Stormrays wasted no time in running up to the goal to retrieve the ball in hopes of restarting play quickly.
3-1.
After a few more promising opportunities, the game slipped into stoppage time. Junior defender Ian Baxter worked the left side of the box and crossed the ball perfectly, forcing illegal contact on a would-be Shorewood shooter for a penalty kick.
Stoppage | 3-2 SHOREWOOD GOAL
Daniel Bruno converts the pen as Shorewood keeps hope alive.@HeraldNetPreps pic.twitter.com/dcF2sMhWtU— Qasim Ali (@qasimasports) June 1, 2025
Junior midfielder and captain Daniel Bruno calmly took the shot and scored on the right side, wasting no time picking up the ball again to run it to midfield.
3-2.
“This team showed great grit all the way up to the end. They fought all the way, the whole 80 minutes, they didn’t give up once,” Niki said of his squad, which didn’t waste a second celebrating either of their goals.
Sophomore defender Christian Costello came on late to deliver one of his patented deep throw-ins on what would be the last real shot at an equalizer for Shorewood. But a complete comeback just wasn’t in the cards for the Stormrays, as the opportunity didn’t result in a shot on goal.
After a long stoppage period, the whistle signaling the game’s end rang through a cool May breeze.
It was over.
Shorewood react to losing to Mercer Island in the 3A state championship game on Saturday, May 31, 2025 in Puyallup, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Players fell where they stood, as the sharp sound immediately conveyed the finality of their historic season. Players were broken into two groups in a moment: those who consoled others and the consoled. The players posed for a photo with the second-place trophy, which offered a brief respite from the grieving period. It was hardware, just not the kind anyone in blue was hoping to wield by the day’s end.
With just five seniors rostered, Shorewood could very well be back in the postseason mix next year. But this squad ushered in a new level of Shorewood success.
Years of state tournament disappointment and upsets made a year like 2025 all the more special, and assistant coach Travis Bear aimed to let the team know the depth of what they had achieved — even if it wasn’t capped with a state title.
Bear recited the additions to Shorewood’s trophy case in the last four years: three straight district titles, back-to-back Wesco 3A/2A regular season titles, and now a runner-up performance at state for the first time since 1980.
Bereket has seen it all.
Shorewood’s Niki Genadiev hugs teammate Matthew Bereket after the 3A state championship game against Mercer Island on Saturday, May 31, 2025 in Puyallup, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
“I couldn’t be prouder. We made it to the very last game, that’s all I can ask for,” Bereket said. “Everybody worked their butt off, that’s all I can ask for.”
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