Tide close to playoff clincher

Spencer Schomaker and Dan Scott hope to lead Tacoma into the playoffs.
(David Falk)

The Vancouver Whitecaps Residency are off and running towards the Northwest Division title after they invaded Yakima on July 11th and torched the Reds 4-1. The victory hurt the Tide's slim chances of finishing in first place but dramatically helped their chances of finishing second and making the playoffs. Yakima and Tacoma are now on equal footing as far as matches left to play (2) but the Tide have more standings points, 28-25.

If Tacoma wins or draws tonight in Salem against the Cascade Surge, and the Reds lose at home to Abottsford, then the Tide would clinch the final playoff spot. A second scenario that could work: A Tide win and a Yakima draw would put TFC four points up with only three points left to grab. Anything else and next Saturday's Yakima-Tide match at Curtis High School will determine who enters the playoffs with Vancouver.

The BYU Cougars sit in 4th place and need to win out along with having the exact right scenario from Tacoma and Yakima: A Yakima loss to Abbey tonight and a win over Tacoma next week, along with a Tide loss tonight. If that all somehow happened, BYU would have 29 points and TFC and Yakima would end the season with 28 each and out of the playoffs.

1. Vancouver Whitecaps (31 points after 13 matches) 10-2-1
2. Tacoma Tide (28 points after 14 matches) 9-4-1
3. Yakima Reds (25 points after 14 matches) 8-5-1
4. BYU Cougars (20 points after 13 matches) 6-5-2
5. Abottsford Mariners (17 points after 13 matches) 5-6-2
6. Ogden Outlaws (14 points after 13 matches) 4-7-2
7. Cascade Surge (11 points after 12 matches) 2-7-5
8. Spokane Spiders (7 points after 13 matches) 2-10-2

Remain matches

Vancouver:
July 12 at Spokane
July 18 at BYU
July 19 at Ogden

Tacoma:
July 12 at Cascade
July 19 Yakima

Yakima:
July 12 Abottsford
July 19 at Tacoma

BYU:
July 12 at Ogden
July 18 Vancouver
July 19 Abottsford