Issaquah nearly took down Mercer Island on Friday night. A one goal game that was full of excitement tilted in Mercer's favor this time. Mercer Island remains the lone undefeated team in DI-KingCo. The 10-9 finish has us at the Stroll very excited for this Friday, when Bellevue will meet Mercer Island.

The week that was….

The Lake Washington Kangs and Eastlake Wolves were also in a tight one-goal game, that was essentially a competition for the fifth seed allotted to DI-KingCo. Lake Washington came out ahead in this 6-5 match, and strongly improved their chances at the fifth and final DI-KingCo seed.

Other impact games

Auburn-Riverside put Curtis on the outside looking in with a 17-4 win. Auburn Riverside has been one of two dominant forces in their conference this year, the other being Tahoma. These two will meet at the end of the season, determining first place in their league.

King's Way clinched first in D-II Central/South with a 16-11 win over Southridge. The split of King's Way in to King's Way and Camas has led to a number of competitive games, and the two most likely playoff teams from their division.

Gonzaga Prep beat University-CV 8-4 this week. Each team has made the most of home team advantage: University won the previous match when at home, and Gonzaga followed suit this time. They have also given themselves a lead on University-CV in their conference, and pending the last games of the season this week, may or may not have to play a play-in game for the right to represent the East. Exciting finish in the Eastern!

Seattle Academy solidified their hold on the first spot in D-II metro with a 14-2 win over Overlake. Overlake then went on to lose by two to Nathan Hale, which puts them on thin ice for the playoffs, after they impressed last week.

The playoff picture develops..

Division 1

In D-I Wesco/Northwest, Sehome-Bellingham has clinched first. Everett must beat Monroe to clinch the second seed. Snohomish is now on the outside looking in, but are not mathematically eliminated.

D-I Metro's first two seeds are set - Eastside Catholic's dominant performance this season locks them in at first, while Bainbridge has developed throughout the season and has earned the second. Seattle Prep has a huge week and must win to distance themselves from Kennedy Catholic, a team that has been hot lately.

D-I KingCo is a tossup for the first three seeds between Issaquah, Bellevue, and Mercer Island, while Skyline is the likely fourth seed. A lot can happen in the coming games, but Lake Washington is the likely fifth seed, with Eastlake right on their heels. Even Woodinville and Bothell-Inglemoor are mathematically alive for the final seed. It should be an exciting finish!

D-I SPSL/Narrows - Auburn Riverside and Tahoma have the first two seeds most likely, while the third is still contested. Emerald Ridge-Puyallup has the inside track: with a win against Stadium, they clinch. Stadium and Curtis for their part are both mathematically alive, but need a lot of help and some wins.

Division 2

It's final in D-II Central/South - King's Way and Camas will be heading to the playoffs. Wenatchee has all but clinched in the Eastern, and Gonzaga Prep is the front-runner for the second seed, while University-CV may end tied with them, and force a play-in game. In D-II Metro, Seattle Academy has clinched, and O'Dea and Overlake are the most bonafide suitors to the 2nd seed. In D-II Wesco/NW, Shorecrest, Stanwood and Meadowdale will all be in, with the rest of the season only determining their order.

Best upcoming matchups

D-I:

5/5: Bainbridge @ Seattle Prep: If Prep pulls off an upset win here, they will strengthen their hold on the third playoff seed in DI-Metro

5/9: Bellevue @ Mercer Island: The tough KingCo DI matchup of the week. Can Bellevue hand MI their first loss in state?

5/6: Skyline @ Bothell-Inglemoor: Skyline has to take care of business to keep their playoff placement, and Bothell-Inglemoor is playing great down the stretch.

5/8: Emerald Ridge-Puyallup @ Tahoma: A win here should put Puyallup in better position for the playoffs, but more importantly, this has the potential to be a great, competitive game!

D-II:

5/6: Seattle Prep @ O'Dea: This game is a must win for O'Dea, and also important for Seattle Prep's playoff seeding.

5/9: Overlake @ Kennedy Catholic: Kennedy Catholic needs to keep winning to have a chance to overtake Seattle Prep.

5/10: Stadium @ Vashon: Vashon has been a source of D-II/D-I upsets all year. Can they do it again?

Anything we missed? Got some good comments or questions for us? EMAIL: [email protected]