Unranked Federal Way played respectably and competitively against Lake Stevens, a team with a much better record and, of course, ranking, and played toe-to-toe with them and but for some dumb (lucky) goals. The Eagles could have won instead of lost, 2-0, in its WIAA 4A state semifinal at Harry Lang Stadium Friday.

"The kids fought hard," said Eagles coach Jason Baumgart, who took this squad to the state final three years ago, losing to Pasco, 4-3.
The Vikings (Snohomish area) movedon to the state final against Stadium (Tacoma) with a 19-2-1 record while the Eagles played in the consolation game for third-fourth place.

Despite missing its 37-goal scorer, Kelyn Rowe, six behind Mount Rainier's Darwin Jones' 39, in 3A. Rowe was the SPSL North Most Valuable Player, unsurprisingly. Despite all that, the Eagles came out strong and took a shot just two minutes in, saying their Rowe-less team would still give it all they had.

Brad Lewis, with 38 minutes left in the first half, took a shot after fullback Nevin Hair sprinted forward nicely and crossed it from the left wing area for Lewis to let loose a near-post shot missing by only a few feet.

Lake Stevens took a couple shots after that, in the 5th and 10th minutes, that Eddie Gomez, the Eagles' fleet-footed, good hands senior keeper, saved easily.

Then, in the 16th minute, oddly playing right with this Vikings No. 2 state ranked squad, the Eagles got a shot from Eagles midfielder Chase Brewer, but the ball went to the keeper. A hard shot to either post might have been in on this shot from the top of the 18-yard box.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, the Vikings' first real shot of the game from them was a score, going in off a cross in the 21st minute of the first half.

The ball was sent, looping, into the middle from 35 yards out. But the defense didn't get the ball and it bounced like a pinball in the six-yard box as a Viking headed the ball and Gomez brilliantly dove to get a hand on it. But Gomez didn't get two hands on it, to keep the ball. It rebounded away from Gomez, now on the ground, for a point-blank shot in that made it 1-0, Vikings.

So, the game continued and the Vikings earned three cornerkicks, which resulted in no threats while the Eagles earned two corner kicks and also took three other dangerous shots in the final 20 minutes. The first corner kick came with 10 minutes to go in the first half when

Sean Tang, a senior, sent a ball into the middle that Lewis nearly headed in but as the ball sailed just wide of the right post after his nice far-post run on the corner kick. Then, with two minutes left in the first half, Tang took a shot that was to the keeper but hard.
"Just didn't finish them," said Gomez. "Got to put those opportunities away."

In the second half, the Vikings, again, didn't do much offensively. A shot in the first two minutes that Gomez saved near-post, and another shot as the Eagles had no shots but were controlling the ball in the middle of the field as where it was mostly in the first 20 minutes of the first half.

Lake Stevens scored an insurance goal in the 58th minute, off a throw in. The ball, thrown into the six-yard box, hit off several players -- defensive and offensive -- then was shot in from point-blank range past a standing Gomez to make it 2-0.

"I didn't see the ball," said Gomez. "I was screened from seeing the ball."

Dumb kind of a way to be scored on?

"Yes," said Gomez. .

Baumgart agreed on both goals by Lake Stevens.

"Stupid goals," he said.

The offensive woes came down to Rowe, who surely would have made a difference in this game for the Eagles, if not off to Florida to play in a club tournament for his team Crossfire.

Rowe is one of the best players this state's ever produced, being tough even as a freshman in greatly helping the Eagles get to the final against Pasco back in 2007. He was playing in this tournament for his future, which could include pro soccer and more.

"Hopefully, Kelyn gets looked at by the national team," said Baumgart.

Rowe is gunning for a spot on the U-20 national team which is a feeder system into the U-23 national team and the World Cup team.

Those are high aspirations but Rowe is at that elite level after dribbling crazily around competition this state season, including leading the Eagles to a win over Snohomish, 3-2, and then over Todd Beamer in a game the Eagles won, 5-1, with Rowe scoring all five of the Eagles' goals.

"I know Kelyn would have dribbled circles around Lake Stevens' defense," said Baumgart of Rowe, who will attend UCLA on a full ride scholarship this Fall. "But it is what it is and we did alright."