Soccer: Curtis pulls out late win against Bellarmine

4/18/2024

(University Place, WA) The Curtis Vikings pulled out a hard fought win against Bellarmine Prep. With the win the Vikings improve to 7-2 in league play and 8-2 overall and are tied with Sumner who are also 7-2 in league play and both have a total of 30 points. Bellarmine falls to 5-2-2 in league and Puyallup is 5-2-1.

However, with the convoluted point scoring system that makes it impossible to know who sits where without a math degree, Puyallup and Bellarmine are tied for 3rd with 25 points. This is also with Puyallup playing 1 less match than the other 3 teams and with a win tonight against Graham-Kapowsin they would take over 3rd place with 28 points and a tie would give them a 26-25 advantage over Bellarmine.

Let’s get to the game and after each team made significant attacks it was Curtis’s Drew Castellanos who broke free and knocked in the 1st goal in the 23rd minute getting just behind Lions keeper Ethan Faini.

Bellarmine would find the equalizer though after several runs in a row finally wearing down a stiff backline defense for the Vikings and keeper Manny Zuniga. Jaggar Judkins broke free and pummeled the shot into the back of the net and they would go to the halftime break tied 1-1.

In the 2nd half it looked like the game just may end in a tie when in the 76th minute Curtis’s Andrew George broke free and fired a hard shot that Faini could only get a piece of and the ball rolled into the goal.

The Vikings backline had a great night but Manny Zuniga was incredible in the box recording several big saves. Joining the defensive effort were Landon Lee, Tyree Korolevu, David Scolnic and Ethan Bell.

Our Thorbeckes MVP of the game went to Manny Zuniga and the NW Home Team of BHG Realty, Summit Funding and Country Insurance went to Andrew George for the winning goal.

Curtis will host South Kitsap next on Tuesday and Bellarmine will look to bounce back with a home match against Bethel.

ESN talks with Curtis’s Andrew George