PDL Game Report
Sunday, July 6, 2014
BREMERTON, Wash. -- While the Vancouver Whitecaps U-23 have been on a big tear lately with seven straight wins to move into first place in the PDL's Northwest Division, the Kitsap Pumas know if they take care of things on their end, they'll be celebrating a division championship.
The Pumas took victory on a hot Sunday afternoon as they defeated the Puget Sound Gunners 3-0 in the club's regular season home finale to retake first place by a point. It's the second time the Pumas scored three goals this season and the club's fifth clean sheet of the year. Kitsap (7-1-4, 25 points) can clinch the division with a win against the Washington Crossfire on Friday in Redmond, Wash., and in turn guarantee a berth in the PDL's Western Conference Championship
Chuy Sanchez, Joaquin Rivas and Michael Chamberlain all scored, while Joe Rayburn made his first appearance in goal this season and recorded three saves to earn his first clean sheet as a Puma.
"Now that I've been out of [Pacific Lutheran University] for a while, I've been able to get my rhythm and get my feet under me and transition to play for Kitsap full time," he said. "I've been able to hit my stride and really get to where I want to be as a player. Matt [Grosey]'s done a phenomenal job - it's not a knock on him - I just felt like I earned some time in there and basically not screw up. That was my job today and I didn't want to be the one to make a mistake. The goalkeeping here is phenomenal. From one to three, no matter what the order is, we have great goalkeepers."
Kitsap had trouble against Puget Sound's defense to start, but got the goal they needed when Sanchez was fouled in the penalty area in the 31st minute. He easily put it past Gunners goalkeeper Keegan Rogers for his team-leading fifth goal of the season.
The Pumas put the pressure on the Gunners in the second half as Tommy Catalano was subbed in at halftime to provide another offensive threat.
It paid off in the 66th minute as Catalano utilized some good passes by his teammates to dribble into open space and fire a shot off that Rogers had to parry away. Sanchez fired in a shot off the rebound that Rogers deflected, but Rivas poached his fourth goal of the season off that rebound. In the 80th minute, Michael Chamberlain scored his second goal of the season as he headed in a great cross from Catalano. The two worked well together as they created several more scoring opportunities but couldn't finish them.
"That was a nice goal on Joaquin's part," head coach Andrew Chapman said. "Michael had a great finish on his goal as well... At halftime we told them that you guys have to tire them down [by making them run]. Just knocking the ball into the back doesn't tire them down, because they're packing it in. So you have to move the ball around and make them run. That's what we did."
Despite Puget Sound's increasing frustration over foul calls not going their way and the play turning physical, Kitsap did its best to not get caught up and lose their cool.
"We expected it," Catalano said. "They came out - they really have nothing to lose - and they came out and just played physical and tried to get us out of our game. But I think we came through and did the job today."
Sanchez said they know they control their own destiny.
"It's up to us," he said. "It's not up to Vancouver, it's not up to anyone else - it's up to us. If we want to win this division, it's there for us. We need one more win and we have two more games (to do it in), but we don't want to leave it until the last game. We wanted this win and we got it and now we want the next win. We want to win the division."