The Kitsap Pumas concluded their season on July 24, after losing to FC Tucson, 4-1. Trevor Jensen scored the lone goal for the Pumas.

Although the Pumas went undefeated during the season and had the best win ratio in the nation, they weren’t granted the rights to host the PDL Western Championships. The team travelled to Tucson, Arizona, for the tournament, despite their frustrations.

The Pumas had only conceded four goals all year before allowing four during their game in Arizona.

“I honestly don’t know what happened,” Cory Keitz, captain of the Pumas, said. “We just kind of fell apart and couldn’t regain our footing.”

The U-23 Seattle Sounders went on to win the Western Conference title and, with that win, got to host the championship games at their home field in Tukwila.

“That was really frustrating to hear, because that should have been us, and we could have hosted,” said Keitz. The Pumas beat the U-23 Sounders in both previous meetings. “I know they were thrilled we lost. And Tucson got a little payback, seeing as we knocked them out last year.”

Keitz was named to the all conference team and anchored the back line for the Pumas in 2015.

“We’re better than we showed and hopefully a lot of guys will come back next year, and we’ll prove it,” he said.