Contrasting Yin & Yang In Back To Back State Tournament Soccer Victories for Shorewood

Shorewood fans were glued to the action in an exciting game against Eastside Catholic
Photo by Patrick Deagen

By TCA

Shorewood Stormrays

Last Friday evening, May 22, 2026 with the setting sun casting long shadows in Edmonds Stadium, #2 Shorewood faced their eighth-final opponent, #18 Mountain View, which seemed a mismatch based on RPI. 

And so it proved as the Rays struck within six minutes with #10 firing into the bottom left instead of his usual contralateral side, 1-0. With the majority of possession, it was only a matter of time, namely twenty minutes later, with the ball bouncing around in the box, #19 slams it home, 2-0. 

Rays seemed to ease off, as the Thunder had not laid a glove on their goal, and keeper #22 had a tranquil game so far. After the half, at the midway point, a corner kick from the right by Shorewood was aimed towards the far post, where it solidly met the stout head of #16, into the net, 3-0. 

Even though Rays were by then subbing liberally, the bench proved no less motivated to score, and in the final quarter, defender #3 broke loose on the left of the box, with his best imitation of a striker, fires a low shot into the bottom right, 4-0. Then a free kick from midfielder #11 was pushed away by the keeper only to reach the poacher #19, who coolly applies the coup de grace, 5-0. 

The Rays dispatched the first in (hopefully) a succession of matches – get the win and move on, to the quarterfinal on home turf.

Quick action in a fast moving game with Eastside Catholic
Photo by Patrick Deagen

Last Saturday afternoon, May 23, 2026 overcast and cloudy in the familiar confines of Shoreline Stadium, #2 Shorewood faced their quarter-final opponent, #7 Eastside Catholic, seemingly a step up in quality from Mountain View. 

Going in to the match, spirits were high after a thumping win the night before. At the half, and two penalty kicks later (against the Rays), Shorewood was down by 0-2. The quibbles regarding the merits of the referee decisions are immaterial, as the only immutable fact was the score - zero goals for, two goals against, with forty minutes to go. 

Rays were staring into the abyss, but Coach Warner’s halftime pep talk reminded them of a league match about a month ago, against Shorecrest, where they faced this same scenario. In that game they made a comeback in the second half, to win 4-2, i.e. not to panic and play on. It harkens back to that WW2 British motivational poster to Keep Calm And Carry On, which leads to Winston Churchill’s declaration that this would be “their finest hour”. 

Could the Rays seize the day against adversity with a comeback for the ages? Within the first minute we had our answer. Shorewood came flying out with their hair on fire, tricky winger #23 streaking down the right side, beating the fullback with sheer pace. A perfectly weighted cutback pass reaches the surging forward #9 who smashes it with venom into the goal, 1-2! 

The entire team erupts with a roar, and belief that all was not lost. The Crusaders were taken aback by this surge in speed and energy, as every Ray chased, tackled and snatched the ball with alacrity. Five minutes later, from a long throw-in, the ball pings around the box, inviting the blue appendage of #16 to deliver a dagger into goal, 2-2! 

Eastside Catholic was reeling but would not go quietly into the good night, as they resisted the rolling tide with ball control and precision passing. For the next half-hour, it seemed as if the Stormray rally had petered out, with Crusaders realizing that Rays’ forward push left gaps in the back for their strikers to exploit. 

Having survived the onslaught, it seemed strategic for Eastside Catholic to regroup, and play for OT, if not PKs. With the clock ticking down, the impending lottery of a penalty shootout was looming ever closer. 

With five minutes left, Shorewood refused to tie, and another corner kick reaches #4, who artfully glances the ball to the middle, where unmarked striker #17 unleashes a bolt through the throng, unerringly into the back of the net, 3-2! 

Stormrays sharing the joy of victory with fans
Photo by Patrick Deagen

The comeback complete, he is instantly mobbed, until attention must refocus on closing out the remaining time. Fatigue, cramp and injuries delay the game as the clock ticks down to the dreaded two minutes. The ball zips from one end to another as Crusaders desperately mount a few more incursions that Rays defense must boot away - left, right, forwards, anywhere, as they cling on. 

Stoppage time seemed more than two minutes, it felt more like twenty minutes, an excruciating eternity for the crowd to live and die with every twist and bounce. The final whistle eventually blows, and both teams collapse, having given it their all on the field. 

One is reminded of the wisdom of that old Roman, Seneca, who proclaimed that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity, as the Rays zealously grasped their moment firmly with both hands (and feet). Upset averted, Shorewood avoided going home and instead move on to the semi-final in one week, at Sparks Stadium.

Shorecrest Scots

Back to last Friday evening, in the hinterlands of Tacoma’s outskirts, #6 Shorecrest faced their eighth-final opponent #11 Bishop Blanchet. Their records and RPI suggested a pretty even contest, with the Scots hoping to advance to the quarter-final against #3 Silas. 

The Bears scored the first two goals, and led 0-2 at the half. The valiant Scots rallied to pull one back, 1-2, but within eight minutes, Blanchet responded with a third goal, 1-3, to shut the door on Shorecrest’s State run. 

Shorecrest run ends with Round 2
Shorewood continues into the semifinal

Alas, the dance is over for the Scots, as they lick their wounds, and fold their tents, to prepare for another campaign next year. A potential Shoreline El Clasico derby in the semi-final has been averted. #19 Edmonds-Woodway bows out in the eighth-final to #3 Silas, 3-0. At the midway point of the State playoffs, #1 Mercer Island rolled #8 Lakeside, 4-0; #11 Bishop Blanchet upsets #3 Silas, 3-2 (OT); #4 Gig Harbor knocks out #12 Mount Vernon, 2-0.

EPILOGUE: For those of you die-hard fanatics still reading (all three of you), the State quarter-finals have concluded. 

These are the semi-final matchups: #1 Mercer Island vs #4 Gig Harbor, and #2 Shorewood vs #11 Bishop Blanchet, for the right to meet in the final, and be crowned State Champions. 

Tired of the mundane, humdrum, workaday dreary tedium, monotony and routine? Your heart may skip a beat (or three), you may become short of breath, you might become dizzy with delirium. Come one, come all, join the circus at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup 601 7th Ave - semi-finals will be on Friday 5/29, the finale on Saturday 5/30.