The Kitsap Pumas beat the Ocala Stampede 2-1 on Friday, getting goals from Joaquin Rivas in the 41st minute and Jesus Sanchez in the 89th minute. Kitsap plays in the PDL championship game Sunday at 10 a.m. PST.
Kitsap Pumas vs. Ocala Stampede: Watch here
Here is a link for the Kitsap Pumas’ PDL semifinal game against the Ocala Stampede.
Pumas’ Keitz named to All-PDL team
Kitsap Pumas captain Cory Keitz picked up a pretty nice honor this week, being named to the All-Premier Development League team for 2014.
Keitz is retiring after this weekend’s PDL championships, so he’s hoping to add a title before he hangs up his cleats.
Pumas aiming for second national title
I admit it, covering the Kitsap Pumas in the 2011 season was fantastic. Covered pretty much all the home games and a couple of away games as the team marched all the way to a Premier Development League title.
I figured it’d be the best team we’d see Kitsap put on the field.
Well, the 2014 team is putting up quite a challenge with the Pumas ready to compete for another league title this Friday-Sunday in Pontiac, Michigan.
Here’s a story about how the teams compare. For my money, I’d take the 2011 team’s defense any day of the week, but the 2014 team’s offense seems to know how to get the goals in critical moments.
Pumas win conference title, advance to PDL Final 4
The Kitsap Pumas advanced to the Premier Development League’s national tournament after beating FC Tucson 3-0 in the Western Conference tournament.
Here is the story from Saturday’s game.
Pumas clinch playoff berth, eye division title
The Kitsap Pumas can clinch the Premier Development League’s
Northwest Division title on Friday with a win over Washington
Crossfire.
The Pumas have already clinched one of the division’s three
playoffs berths.
Kitsap (7-1-4, 25 points) trails Vancouver (8-3-3, 27 points) for
first place, but has two games in hand.
Victoria (6-3-3, 21 points), Sounders FC U23 (5-5-2, 17 points) and
Portland (4-4-4, 16 points) are still alive. Victoria is the team
which could pass Kitsap for second place, but the Highlanders would
need to win out and have the Pumas lose
out.
Pumas looking to reclaim first place in division
The Kitsap Pumas have spent most of the season in first place in
the Premier Development League’s Northwest Division.
That was until Vancouver (7-3-3, 24 points) won seven straight
games to go in front of Kitsap (6-1-4, 22 points) earlier this
week.
The Pumas can get back into first on Sunday when they host Puget
Sound at 2 p.m. at Gordon Field.
Kitsap has two games in hand against Vancouver, so the Pumas aren’t
panicking. But three points against Puget Sound would be welcome
after Kitsap lost its first game of the season last weekend against
Portland.
The top-three teams in the division make the playoffs.
Kitsap finishes the regular season with road games against
Washington Crossfire (July 11) and Sounders FC U-23s (July 16).
First-place Pumas top Crossfire 3-1
The Kitsap Pumas (6-0-4) extended their first-place lead in the Premier Development League’s Northwest Division to seven points with a 3-1 victory over Washington Crossfire on Saturday.
Chuy Sanchez, Miguel Gonzalez and Patrick Kelly each scored for Kitsap. Gonzalez added an assist.
After the game, Gonzalez said the Pumas aren’t celebrating anything yet despite the team getting close to clinching Open Cup and playoff berths.
“We are not champions yet,” Gonzalez said. “We still want it. You never know what other teams are going to do.”
Notes: Defender Rene DeZorzi, who has started every minute of every game at center back, will miss the rest of the regular season. He is going to Brazil for the World Cup. While not ideal, Kitsap coach Andrew Chapman said the team knew about DeZorzi’s trip before he signed with the club. Chapman also says because the team is relatively healthy, replacing DeZorzi should pose too much of a problem.
Pumas’ Sanchez named PDL Player of the Week
Kitsap Pumas midfielder Jesus Sanchez earned Premier
Development League Player of the Week honors Thursday after his
two-goal performance in Kitsap’s 2-1 victory over Lane United FC on
Sunday.
Sanchez tied the game in the 66th minute on a volley just inside
the goal box. Then in stoppage time with the Pumas playing a man
down, Sanchez converted the game-winner on a free kick to help
Kitsap extend its lead to five points in the Northwest
Division.
The Pumas (5-0-4) face Washington Crossfire at 7 p.m. on Saturday
at Gordon Field.
Pumas finalize preseason schedule
The Kitsap Pumas will play seven preseason game this spring,
beginning with a matchup with Seattle University and former Pumas
coach Peter Fewing.
The Pumas, who open the Premier Development League season May 11 at
home against Vancouver, finalized their preseason schedule on
Wednesday.
They’ll be on the road at Seattle University on April 6 at 2 p.m.
The remaining schedule includes three home games at Gordon Field
(April 12 vs. Bellingham United, 5:30 p.m.; May 3 vs. Peninsula
College, 6 p.m.; May 6 vs. South Sound FC, 7 p.m.) and three road
games (April 19 vs. University of Washington, 7 p.m., at Husky
Soccer Stadium; April 26 vs. International Portland Select, 1:20
p.m., at Peninsula College; April 26 vs. Peninsula College, 4:30
p.m.; at Peninsula College).