Postseason Cut Short - By Colby Whitby
The Lady Bombers have seen their share of playoff victories and MCC titles and checked those two boxes for the fourth consecutive season. Coming off back-to-back penalty shootout wins vs Kamiakin and Chiawana, Richland was set up to play the Puyallup Vikings in the first round of the state tournament. To recap the successful league section of the season for the girls, they finished 15-1 in the MCC this year. With three first-team all-league players, the Bombers were ready to head into the state tournament looking to bring home some hardware.
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| Photo: Metcalf Media (@metcalfmedia_ ) |
The match started off hot for the home team, with Kylee Kukes breaking the seal and scoring the first goal of the match off a cross from Bella Bunnage. Although the Bombers started off on a good note, the Puyallup side answered quickly. As a through ball broke through the Richland back line, goalkeeper Alyssa Marsh could not get a hold of it and let the Vikings forward put one into the back of the net. Now 1-1, with only 10 minutes played, the crowd was alive. Puyallup fans hug and chest bump while Richland fans cheer and try to push the girls to play hard.
Richland has had a short history when it comes to the Vikings, with the most recent match being a 2021 state quarterfinal game. Richland was victorious after penalties and went through to the state semifinal against Issaquah. This win from the Lady Bombers left a bad taste in the Viking’s head coach’s mouth and definitely was going to play a part in how this game ended.
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| Photo: Metcalf Media (@metcalfmedia_ ) |
Although the first 10 minutes were action-packed, the game simmered down for a little bit. Both sides had great offensive weapons, which was noticeable as the game was all attacking. The Vikings were able to push another one past the line after a key defensive misread. Now, after being scored on in the first 5 minutes, the Puyallup Vikings were leading with 23 minutes to go in the first half. Both sides were still attacking efficiently, but from the tempo of the Puyallup Vikings, the visitors were definitely putting pressure on the Lady Bomber’s defense.
Coming out of halftime, both teams looked prepared and hungry to score more goals and advance to the next round of the state tournament. But, 4 minutes into the second half, the Bombers were caught off guard as a Vikings attacker flicked in a cross and put the away side up two goals right off the bat. This was a hard obstacle for the Richland Girls, but they were able to pick themselves up and start playing. Putting more and more pressure on the Puyallup defense, the Lady Bombers put up tons of shots in the last ten minutes. Bella Bunnage was able to put away a fumbled ball from the keeper to pull the game to one score with seven minutes remaining. For what felt like a lifetime, the Bombers would not stop attacking in those seven minutes, hoping that one of the shots would travel in and equalize. Unfortunately for the home team, the final whistle blew for what would be their last game of the season.
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| Photo: Metcalf Media (@metcalfmedia_ ) |
As the season came to an unfortunate end for the Bombers, the girls have come to focus on the good things their team has done this season rather than the losses like these. Bella Bunnage, one of the Lady Bomber’s best players and an MCC first-team player who is also committed to play at Eastern Washington University, had some great things to say about her senior season. “My overall takeaway was that we fought our hardest,” Bella explained. “That’s something I can take away with a good sense of accomplishment. I’m proud of this team and how much we endured this season. It was a good one to end on, and I could not have been happier with these girls.” Bunnage, who put a goal past in the last 5 minutes to try and lead a comeback, was very satisfied with how the girls came together and worked together throughout the season.
Next season will be one to pay attention to, as rising players such as Kylee Kukes, Mackenzie Thonney, and Bella Arroyo are all looking to win the MCC for the fifth time in five years.
