Puyallup simply perfect after win over Bonney Lake

The Puyallup girls water polo team wrapped up a perfect season with a 19-7 victory over the Panthers of Bonney Lake. The win gave the Vikings a 19-0 overall record and a 14-0 slate in divisional play. Winning the divisional title also earned Puyallup a number one seed in next week's state tournament at Rogers High School.
On a night when Puyallup's seven senior received recognition for their contributions to the Viking program, it was appropriate that seniors led the way to victory over Bonney Lake. Haley Carroll once again led the way with seven goals. Katie Kindle and Kim Akiona both tallied three scores and Bri Watts chipped in two. Megan Hamilton went the distance in the cage coming up with 10 saves to set the tone defensively for the Vikings. Hannah Fralick was also solid on the defensive side, getting several knockdowns despite being strapped with two ejection fouls. Hillary McDonald, getting her first start of the year, was also solid in helping Puyallup tune up for its first round state game on Wednesday. But the tune up sputtered at times for Puyallup as it was hard for the Vikings to get into a rhythm or flow thanks in part to Bonney Lake playing a slow-down game that often saw the Panthers hold the ball 15 to 20 seconds of their shot clock before getting into their offense. After a close first quarter that saw Puyallup take a 5-2 lead, the Vikings then outscored Bonney Lake 14-5 over the next three frames. Carroll added four of her seven scores in the second half and a host of other Vikings added scores to secure the win. Lauren Griffin scored in a breakaway in the third; Watts got the fourth quarter started with a score followed by a Fralick goal with just over five minutes to play. Emily Hager then tapped in a miss for a score with 2:23 left, and Kindle closed out the scoring at the two minute mark. During a pregame ceremony Puyallup's seven departing seniors received from parents a plaque that recognized their efforts in Puyallup earning its first-ever league title and trip to state. Even Coach Todd Fletcher got in on the celebration of perfection, as he was ceremoniously dumped into the pool by the team following the win. Next week will find the Vikings at the Rogers High School Aquatic Center in the uncharted waters of the state tournament. Puyallup opens state play on Wednesday at 7:15 pm. Its opponent mostly likely will be Stadium High School.