MARYSVILLE — A controversial call has knocked Marysville-Pilchuck out of the state soccer tournament.
Tomahawk goalkeeper Eric Ibanez stopped a Kamiakin penalty kick late in the game Tuesday at Quil Ceda Stadium.
But a referee ruled Ibanez had stepped forward off the goal line prior to the kick, giving Kamiakin another chance.
The Braves made that one, ending up with a 2-1 win in the opening round 3A match.
M-P coach Paul Bartley lamented the foul in the first place, after a Kamiakin player fell down.
“There’s no way a game like this — which was a good game, a back-and-forth game — you don’t want it to come down to a mystery foul,” Bartley told The Herald.
Kamiakin (12-5) advances while the loss ended M-P’s season at 16-3-1. It was their first state appearance since 2014 after winning their second- consecutive Wesco 3A/2A title.
After a scoreless first half, M-P got on the board when senior forward Randy Galvan dribbled passed a pair of defenders for a goal early in the second half.
Midway through the second half, Kamiakin got on the board, setting up the controversial end to the game.
Earlier, M-P lost to Meadowdale Friday 3-1 in the 3A District 1 Championship game at Shoreline Stadium.
The Mavericks scored with two minutes to play in the first half on a header after a free kick following a foul to make it 1-0 at intermission.
But M-P quickly tied it two minutes into the second half when freshman forward Ashton centered it from the left wing. The pass missed some players in the middle, but sophomore David Magee was on the right side and booted it passed the Mavs’ goalie.
Meadowdale took the lead for good in the 51st minute when a crowd congregated right in front of the M-P goal, and the Mavs came up with the ball and a point-blank shot.
Just two minutes later it looked like M-P may have tied it, but the official ruled the Kyle Matson kicked the ball out of the hands of the Meadowdale goalie to get the shot off.
Meadowdale clinched the win with a goal in the 78th minute after another free kick following yet another foul call.
