Pumas Crush Spiders With Highest Output In Club History
BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) – Mark Conrad came off the bench to score two second-half
goals as the Kitsap Pumas defeated the outmanned Spokane Spiders 6-1
Saturday night at Bremerton Memorial HS Stadium.

Pumas forward Stephen Phillips had a goal and a assist while M Tony Kerr and F Spencer
Schomaker converted penalty kicks.
The win keeps the Pumas (9-0-2, 29 lea
gue points) in first place in
the USL Premier Development League Northwest Division. They hold a six
point lead over the Seattle Wolves, whom the club faces this Tuesday night at home. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Kitsap also increases its goal differential to +24 and remain in
second – just two total points behind the Long Island Rough Riders – out of
68 PDL teams. Kitsap holds a game in hand on the Rough Riders as of today's date.

Conrad scored in the 63rd minute when he followed up on a Schomaker
shot that was deflected away by Spokane goalkeeper Eric Kurimura, then
put one in at the 74th minute as he drove on Kurimura and buried his shot
into the left side of the net.

“I was a little upset (at not starting) but I have full confidence in
(Alex) Megson,” Conrad said. “He's a very skilled player.”

Conrad played like a man possessed during his time on the pitch,
racing all over the field to get the ball and make shots and passes.

“When I came on the field, I told (head coach John) Wedge 'Watch me,
dude," he said. "He just told me to keep my composure.”

Assistant coach Andrew Chapman said they've had talks with Conrad
about his play.

“He's been struggling a little bit lately,” he said. “So we've had
some talks with him and held him back a bit and he got all upset - and
ready to go - so this was very good to see.”

Conrad nearly had a hat trick when he put another shot past Kurimura, but
the ref waived it off. Yet, the referee instead awarded Aziz Dieng – playing his
first match for the Pumas – a yellow card for what he felt was Dieng
using his hand to score the goal as the French midfielder was crashing the goal to
follow Conrad's shot and put in a possible rebound.

Conrad, along with Dieng and William Njamen, argued that the ball had
already crossed the line before Dieng touched it.

It was one of four Puma goals that were waived off by the center
official for various perceived infractions.

Kyle Johnson had a goal disallowed as did Max Lipset who put in a
header off a Mark Lee throw-in. Phillips had a score waived off as well.
Chapman said they couldn't get a straight explanation from the
officials for the calls made in the first half.

“They just tell us to be quiet and sit down,” he said.

The goals the referee did allow started in the third minute when
Phillips was fouled in the penalty box. Kerr cooly converted the penalty
for his fifth goal of the season.

Eli Gordley doubled that in the 15th minute off an assist from Phillips, who
slotted perfect through ball onto the feet of the onrushing Gordley.

Phillips was paid back for his kindness in the 41st-minute as Alex
Megson stole the ball from a Spider defender just outside the
box, made a quick pass past a charging Kurimura to Phillips, who then
tapped in an off-balance shot that just made it past the line for his
fifth goal of the season.

Schomaker rounded out the scoring in the 79th minute after Poulso native Zack Sampson was clobbered well inside
the box by Kurimura, then converted the ensuing penalty kick.

Since being shutout by the USL Division I Portland Timbers in a first
round U.S. Open Cup game on June 9, Kitsap has outscored its opponents
16-3.

Since the team - for the second straight match - scored four or more goals, everyone in attendance received a coupon for a free chalupa from area Taco Bell restaurants.

Spokane scored its lone goal when Nick Love intercepted a misplayed
ball and snuck a far post shot past goalkeeper Dustyn Brim.

The game saw the debut of Dieng, a 22-year-old midfielder from Paris
France. He broke training camp with the Pumas, but couldn't play for
the team until last night due to problems in obtaining a work visa.
He played much of the second half and had a shot on goal.

“It's nice to have him back,” Chapman said. “We'd love to have seen him
earlier in the season. He had a great
game out there just distributing the ball and staying in the middle.”

With three wins in this homestand under its belt, the Pumas now get
ready for two big games when they host the Seattle Wolves Tuesday,
then travel to Portland next Saturday to face the Timbers U23.
With a win, the Pumas can keep the Wolves, the Timbers and the red hot
Cascade Surge (who've won five straight since tying with Kitsap on
June 3) at bay for a division title and a first-round playoff bye.

Kitsap will be without goalkeeper Floyd Croll indefinitely, who is suspended. Kitsap signed Pete Van Sant, a goalkeeper and a
former teammate of Johnson and Taylor Hyde at the University of Puget
Sound this past week.

The Pumas may also be without Hyde, who suffered a slight tear of his
meniscus in the Vancouver game, and Gordley, who collided with Spokane
defender Jay Wallace and had to be helped off the field.
He was placed into a walking boot after the match with a deep bruise on his shin
and a sprained ankle.Chapman said he's questionable depending on how his trip to the
hospital goes, but expects Hyde to return.

“The prognosis on Taylor is pretty good,” he said. “We'll have to wait
and see what the trainers say on Monday.”

Conrad said they'll be fired up for the game. “We're going to run right at them,” he said. “We have points on them
but we don't even care about that – we want to beat them.”

Game time is at 7 p.m. for the club's first-ever "Whoopee Cushion Night!" The first 500 fans in attendance will receive an official Pumas Whoopee Cushion. Tickets are still available through Brown Paper Tickets and the Pumas front office at 360-377-6008.