Soccer Game Preview: North Kitsap vs. Columbia River

The North Kitsap Vikings will challenge the Columbia River Rapids at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with North Kitsap sitting on four straight wins and Columbia River on 15.

North Kitsap is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Bainbridge 2-1. The game was the first time North Kitsap have beaten Bainbridge on their pitch since March 12, 2024.

Meanwhile, Columbia River faced Sehome in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Rapids' defense stepped up to hand the Mariners a 1-0 shutout. That's two games straight that Columbia River have won by just one goal.

Columbia River pushed their record up to 22-1-1 with the win, which was their seventh straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they scored 36 goals over those seven matches. As for North Kitsap, their win bumped their record up to 19-4.

North Kitsap came up short against Columbia River in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, falling 4-2. Can the Vikings avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.