Knights fall to Cedar Park Christian in state tourney

ROYAL CITY – After advancing through the 1A District 5/6 Tournament, the Royal Knights earned the No. 16 seed in the 1A State Girls Soccer Tournament, falling on the road against top-seeded Cedar Park Christian 7-0 on Wednesday. 

“We would have loved to play another game, but it was a wonderful experience,” head coach Jens Jensen said. “We had a great time. It was really good for us, good for our program and good for our girls.” 

The Knights closed out the regular season with a 1-0 win over Kiona-Benton on Oct. 29 to receive the No. 4 seed in the district tournament, only to turn around two days later and play the Bears once again; that match ended in a shootout, with Kiona-Benton defeating the Knights 4-3 in penalties. 

In the consolation bracket, Royal defeated College Place 4-1 thanks to a hat trick by sophomore Maggie Frank and a goal by junior Ingrid Ramirez, and Wahluke 1-0 off a goal by Frank to reach the third/fourth-place game against Kiona-Benton with a state berth on the line. 

“We felt like we shouldn’t have lost at Wahluke, and we felt like we handled College Place pretty well in the season,” Jensen said. “... We felt pretty good about our chances in those two games, but we looked forward and knew that meant we were going to see (Kiona-Benton) again, and unfortunately, they got by us again in a shootout.” 

The Bears won that game again in a penalty shootout, with a score of 4-3. 

“Those games with (Kiona-Benton), every single one of them looked destined to go to a shootout,” Jensen said. “Two teams that are very well-matched to kind of cancel each other.” 

After losing to Kiona-Benton in the third/fourth-place match, Royal still had a chance to qualify for the state tournament with a crossover game against Riverside; as both teams remained tied through regulation and overtime, the match was decided in a shootout, as Royal won 5-4 after the Rams missed their final penalty kick. 

“We knew that we had a shot, we just were unable to generate the offense that we needed, and that game went into a shootout – fortunately, we won,” Jensen said. “It went down to the last kicker. We had been in so many shootouts at that point, and I believe that was their first.” 

Playing without forward Audrey Bergeson, the Knights opted for a defensive-heavy formation that limited their opponent’s scoring opportunities throughout the district tournament.  

“We were hopeful – yes, we lost an attacking piece, but we’re bringing back some (players) that can sure up the defense to just kind of see how that would allow us to stay in games,” Jensen said. 

Royal received the state tournament’s No. 16 seed, setting up a match against undefeated No. 1 Cedar Park Christian on Wednesday at Juanita High School. The Knights fell 7-0, closing out their 2024 season. 

“Clearly they were better than us, but they were really respectful about it, and we had a good experience there,” Jensen said. “It was a great opportunity for us to learn; we’re starting freshmen, and not just one – several.” 

Royal finished the season with a 15-7 record. They qualified for the state tournament for the fifth time in program history, and the first time since 2021. 

    Royal freshman Bella Villafana (2) chases after the ball during a match against Kiona-Benton on Oct. 29.
  

    Royal freshman Hali Christensen keeps her eye on the ball while being defended by a Kiona-Benton player on Oct. 29.
  

    Royal junior Sharon Arroyo, left, defends a College Place player during a Sept. 1 match in Royal City. The Knights defeated the Hawks 4-1 in the district tournament.