MARYSVILLE — In a game quite unlike their first meeting this season, the Marysville-Pilchuck soccer team outplayed Snohomish and, with their win, took a huge leap toward their first-ever conference championship.

In their first meeting this season, the Tomahawks tied 2-2 at Snohomish, but this game was different. Although Snohomish scored on a quick strike in the first minute of the April 28 game, M-P reeled off the next five goals, thanks in large part to senior Seth Jones’ first-half hat trick, winning 5-3.

“You know, after last time, we knew their style,” said Jones after the game. “We knew we could get to them if we played our game.”

Jones’ first two goals were unassisted, but in the 30th minute he scored on a pass from junior forward John Crenshaw, who went on to score two more of his own.

M-P led 5-1 in the 56th minute with Crenshaw scoring on a free kick, earned by an illegal Snohomish slide into Crenshaw’s teammate Elwood Sevon. While M-P held a big enough lead to win, Tomahawk coach Geoff Kittle would have liked to see better defense from his team, which allowed two more Panther goals before time expired.

“I think that our first half was our best half,” Kittle said, holding up M-P’s four goals to one as one of the team’s best halves this season. “Our guys need to step it up defensively. Sometimes they come in thinking talent is enough. They’re capable of playing this way all the time.”

The boys followed their win over second-place Snohomish with a 2-0 shutout of Monroe that gave the team its first league championship in school history. It’s the first time in at least 10 years that Snohomish hasn’t won the league. While that conference championship doesn’t assure the Tomahawks of a state berth this year like it has in seasons past, the M-P players are obviously hoping for a repeat state appearance.

Jones, who played on last year’s team that exited after a shootout loss in the first round, said the team has a better idea what to expect of the postseason this year.

“We know we have got to stay strong all the way through,” he said. “We know we’ve got to be mentally tough.”

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Contact Marysville Globe Sports Reporter Danielle Szulczewski at dszulczewskir@marysvilleglobe.com or 360-659-1300.

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