TACOMA — The Tomahawks’ luck in state soccer shootouts turned sour when the Marysville-Pilchuck boys fell to South Kitsap 2-1.

The semifinal loss May 29 ended the boys’ quest for a state championship.

For the third time in as many games, the Tomahawks tied an opponent through regulation — this time, South Kitsap, who would go on to defeat Pasco for the state championship — but the boys were left looking for the block that would save their season. South Kitsap goalkeeper Daniel Lathrop blocked the decisive penalty kick on Marysville’s third attempt.

The Tommies answered the goal by Wolves forward Justin Moore in the fourth minute with one of their own in the 13th. Senior midfielder Elwood Sevon kicked a 25-yarder high in the goal, forcing Lathrop to leap for the one-handed block. Lathrop was unable to get his hands on the ball though, and it deflected out to M-P senior Kevin Chavez, who scored on the rebound.

“You play with the devil in these shootouts,” M-P coach Geoff Kittle said after the loss to South Kitsap. “Sooner or later, you get bit.”

With the loss, the Tomahawks faced Woodinville, who fell 3-0 to Pasco in the other semifinal game May 29.

M-P started aggressively on offense, with senior midfielder Seth Jones nearly scoring in the first couple of minutes. But around the 20-minute mark, the momentum turned and the Falcons appeared more in control of the game, scoring with 25 seconds left in the first half.

Once again, early in the second half, junior forward Brady Ballew put the ball in front of the Woodinville goal for Jones, but the keeper fell on it. With less than five minutes left, Woodinville scored again on a play that left the defense and the Tomahawk sideline looking for a call that never came.

“I just think the heart was taken out of our guys after the last game,” Kittle said after the Tomahawks ended their season the next day with a consolation loss to Woodinville 2-0. “They just looked tired.”

Nevertheless, with both losses, the Marysville-Pilchuck soccer team placed fourth, in a season with the Tomahawks’ first league championship, first district championship and first state tournament wins.

“I think our guys felt like we were the best team in the state, but that’s why you play games,” Kittle said after the loss to South Kitsap. “Before this season, we had no plaques on our wall. There’s no soccer trophy case in our school.”

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