Soccer Game Preview: Puyallup vs. Emerald Ridge

The Puyallup Vikings are taking a road trip to challenge the Emerald Ridge Jaguars at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

The home team had won the previous three meetings between Puyallup and Olympia, and Puyallup kept the tradition alive. The Vikings were the clear victors by a 6-2 margin over the Bears on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Emerald Ridge). Their defense stepped up to hand South Kitsap a 4-0 shutout on Tuesday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.

Emerald Ridge pushed their record up to 3-1-1 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they scored eight goals over those three matchups. As for Puyallup, their victory bumped their record up to 3-0-1.

Puyallup took their win against Emerald Ridge when the teams last played back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 3-0 score. Do the Vikings have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Jaguars turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.