The North Thurston boys soccer team, the eighth seed in the District 3 3A Tournament, surrendered two goals in the first half to ninth-seeded Kent Meridian and couldn’t recover until it was too late, falling 2-1 in the first round at home Saturday.
Kent Meridian scored on a 25-yard free kick after failed clearances by North Thurston and a Rams foul in the 15th minute. In the 27th minute, the Royals converted on a penalty kick following another missed clearance by the Rams. North Thurston’s lone goal came on the final play of the game off a header by Easton Sexton, with Leonardo Cortez credited with the assist.
The Royals outshot the Rams 13-5 and stormed out of the gates with plenty of pressure.
“They had way more clear opportunities than us,” North Thurston coach Tristan Glazer said. “They controlled much of the game. We were never really able to create any sustained pressure or offense. Really disappointing day for the boys. They spent the past week preparing for the game, and not being able to get the result we wanted is a tough pill to swallow.”
The loss is the first for North Thurston (10-3-5) since March 31, and the Rams now have to win two games to qualify for the state tournament, a feat they haven’t accomplished since 2023. North Thurston will face the loser of Tuesday’s quarterfinal matchup between No. 11 Enumclaw and No. 3 Auburn Mountainview on Thursday at Roy Anderson Field in Gig Harbor.
“We’re going to have to rebound quickly and be ready for our next match. It’s do or die for us, so the boys will need to show more urgency and desperation than we did today,” Glazer said. “Looking forward to using this learning opportunity to improve our game.”
