All’s well that ends well.
King’s defender Sam Hauck’s bending corner kick from the left side slipped into the goal as the Knights came from behind to beat Meridan 2-1 and clinch a berth to state Saturday, May 3 at Mount Vernon High School.
King’s got off to a poor start in the Class 1A District 1 title game but played a strong second half to earn a No. 1 seed to the Northwest-West Central Bi-District tournament.
The Knights will play the winner of Vashon Island and Friday Harbor on Thursday, May 8 at a site to be determined. Vashon and Friday Harbor will play at King’s, Tuesday, May 6.
King’s bus broke down on the way to the Class 1A District 1 title game outside Mount Vernon and the players had to get rides in cars to the stadium.
Things didn’t start much better on the field. Meridian’s Alex Couwelleers launched a left-footed shot from 25 yards out into the upper left corner of the net in the game’s first minute.
Meridian kept up the pressure in the first half and outshot King’s 6-3.
Coach Ben Somoza said the Knights didn’t start well and weren’t winning 50-50 balls in the first half.
He gave his players a reminder at halftime, that the first half, “didn’t show how we are as a team.”
“We definitely stepped it up in the second half,” Hauck said.
King’s offensive attack increased in the second half and the Knights patiently waited for an opportunity. In the 61st minute, that opportunity came.
Midfielder Brett Simons’ cross from the right side landed on the foot of midfielder Gunnar Ildhuso who booted it in from inside the goal box near the left post.
At that point it seemed the momemtum had started to shift for King’s who outshot Meridian 9-4 in the second half.
In the 77th minute, Hauck got his chance to be the hero.
“I was trying to get it over that near post,” said Hauck, who scored on his second corner kick this season.
Somoza shifted his lineup around during the game, playing Simons and Michael Kenyon at forward to start the game. The return of defender Alex Masaki from an illness, allowed him to move some players up, Somoza said.
King’s, who beat Meridian 2-1 in a district semifinal game last year, improved to 12-6 and won its sixth straight game. Last year King’s won eight games in row before losing to Highland in the 1A title game in the program’s first year in existence.
King’s won its first two district games by 2-1 scores as well. The Knights beat Nooksack Valley 2-1 at Woolsey Stadium April 30 behind goals by James Jang and Sam Hauck. The Knights had to overcome an own goal in the game’s first minute.
King’s also won at Friday Harbor 2-1, May 1 on an overtime goal by Kenyon that was assisted by Simons. Ryan McCormick scored King’s first goal in the 65th minute on an assist by Simons. Friday Harbor came back to tie it in the 78th minute, but Kenyon scored in the game-winner three minutes into overtime.
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