MARYSVILLE — Marysville-Pilchuck boys soccer coach Paul Bartley had warned of some “really great soccer” in the cross-town rivalry match-up between the Tomahawks and the Chargers at Marysville Getchell High School on Friday, March 22 — and it turns out he was right.
The game was held on a bright night that followed a spring snow in the morning, and a larger-than-average crowd gathered to cheer for their preferred team. “It was defintely a larger crowd than usual for a game this early,” said Bartley.
The seniors and juniors of both teams had previously played together before Marysville Getchell began varsity athletics, so the players were familiar with each other and their fans.
“It was awesome,” said Greg Erickson, Marysville Athletic Director. “It’s just natural that they will always want to play well against each other. They are in the same league, the same division. It’s just really fun for the kids. It’s just unfortunate in that situation that someone has to lose.”
Midfielders got a lot of playing time as they challenged each other to maintain possession.
“Our whole midfield played a really good game,” said Bartley. “Our defense shut them out and that pretty much says how great they were playing. I knew it was going to be an intense atmosphere. It felt like a play-off game.”
Junior midfielder Fabian Panduro scored the only goal of the game at the 50-minute mark off of a free kick.
“Our goalie, Ryan Spiva, had an outstanding game,” said Bartley. “In the second half, there was a moment when he had two saves in a row that were really key.”
Although the two teams are rivals, it was a friendly community game.
“What I appreciate is that they played really well and showed really good sportsmanship all around,” said Erickson.
The Chargers are set to compete against Everett in an away game on Friday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. The Tomahawks are set to compete against Stanwood away at Friday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m.
The Tomahawks’ record is now 1-0 league and 2-1-1 overall. The Chargers’ record is 0-2 league and 0-5 overall.
