With a record of five wins in 16 matches during the regular season, some may have been looking at the Lynnwood Royals as a darkhorse in this year’s playoffs. But Pablo Mummey Royals’ squads always seem to save their best for late-season play — and this year is no different.

Lynnwood, seeded no. 9 in the District 1 3A Boys Soccer Tournament, got a goal from senior co-captain Kai Ahumada in the 34th minute and then held on to surprise the no. 8-seed Snohomish Panthers in a District tourney loser-out match played Thursday at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Snohomish.

With the victory, the Royals move into the double-elimination portion of the District tournament and will next run up against the no. 1-seeded Monroe Bearcats on Saturday, May 10.

Thursday’s District tourney win over Snohomish was Lynnwood’s third victory in six days after earning just three wins during the first seven-and-a-half weeks of the season. Mummey credits the Royals’ late-season surge to his squad’s growth in working together out on the pitch.

“It took us a little while to get us to play as a team,” Mummey said. “Now we’re starting to click; we’re starting to see each other more often. We’re playing off each other. We’re doing good things now.”

Lynnwood did plenty of good things Thursday, foremost the Ahumada goal six minutes before halftime. Ahumada started the goal-scoring play with a short corner kick, passing the ball to teammate Henrry Torres, who quickly returned the ball to a streaking Ahumada heading into the 18-yard box. Ahumada then one-timed the ball, blasting it into the far upper corner past Panthers’ goalkeeper Eric Harding for the score.

The set play off a corner kick is nothing new for Ahumada and Torres. “We practice it often at training,” Ahumada said. “I just have to execute it. And it went in.”

Ahumada, as a four-year varsity player for the Royals, has been with the team for each of their late-season runs over the past four years. After defeating higher-seeded teams in each of the past three District 1 tournaments, Lynnwood can now add another tournament upset victory to their streak with Wednesday’s win over Snohomish (5-3-2 in Wesco League North Conference, 6-8-3 overall).

“It’s just a whole team thing,” Ahumada said of the Royals’ consistent postseason success. “We know it’s the playoffs and we want to go extra hard. If we think we’re falling off, we push harder and we get there.”

Lynnwood did have to push hard against the bigger Snohomish squad on Thursday. Shots were limited by both teams in the match (each had just eight), so much of the play was in the midfield – and physical.

“We figured they would be bigger than us,” Ahumada noted. “But we just came in stronger than them and came out with the ‘W.’”

Much of the Royals’ midfield success could be credited to the play of senior co-captain Alexis Villasenor. “He does a fantastic job in the middle,” Ahumada said. “He just pumps us up and we just do better from his encouragement. He plays a big role in our starting lineup.”

Unfortunately for the Royals (4-7-1 in 2A/3A Wesco League South Conference, 6-10-1 overall), Villasenor did go down as the result of a yellow-card foul by Snohomish’s Gab Cortes in the 77th minute. Villasenor had to be helped off the field after being unable to put any weight on his right leg; he never returned to the match.

“Hopefully Alexis is going to be OK,” Mummey said after the contest.

Royals’ co-captain Hunter Licata was only called upon to make five saves in the game as his defensive line in front of him was able to clear away much of the Panthers’ advances. Licata’s best stop came in the 31st minute. He initially had trouble securing a long cross into the box from a Snohomish free kick but was able to pounce on the loose ball among six Panthers to quell the threat.

“Hunter does a fantastic job every game,” Ahumada said. “He comes up with some clutch saves. He just does his job to help us win some games. He did his part today, which is fantastic.”

The Royals won’t have long to savor their win on Thursday as their matchup against no. 1-seeded Monroe is set for 3 p.m. Saturday, May 10,  at Monroe High School. Win or lose, Lynnwood will be back in action on Tuesday, May 13, trying to get to one of the top four places in the district tournament and a berth to the state tourney, a scenario that Ahumada thinks is within the team’s reach — or even a possible District title.

“I think, honestly, if we keep it up we can go all the way in Districts – and hopefully win it,” Ahumada said. “If we do what we’ve been doing in the last couple of games, I mean, we’ve got it — win Districts.”

You can view the entire District 1 3A Boys Soccer Tournament bracket here. 

Prep Boys Soccer: Lynnwood at Snohomish, May 8 (District 1 3A Boys Soccer Tournament loser-out match)

Lynnwood 1 0 – 1

Snohomish 0 0 – 0

Goal:

– Kai Ahumada (Lynnwood), assisted by Henrry Torres, in the 34th minute

Shots:

– Lynnwood, 8

– Snohomish, 8

Saves:

– Hunter Licata (Lynnwood), 5

– Eric Harding (Snohomish), 1

Corner kicks:

– Lynnwood, 3

– Snohomish, 1

Yellow cards:

– George Young (Snohomish) in the 67th minute

– Gab Cortes (Snohomish) in the 77th minute

– Aurick Arreola-Villasenor (Snohomish) in second half added time

– Kai Ahumada (Lynnwood) in second half added time

– Samson Ilano (Lynnwood) in second half added time

Records: Lynnwood 4-7-1 in 2A/3A Wesco League South Conference; 6-10-1 overall; Snohomish 5-3-2 in 2A/3A Wesco League North Conference; 6-8-3 overall

Lynnwood next match: versus Monroe; Saturday, May 10; 3

p.m. at Monroe High School

Snohomish next match: 2025 season completed