POULSBO — Soccer here, soccer there. Viking Cup poured a little soccer everywhere.

Five fields, spread out across the grass of Poulsbo and Kingston, hosted 86 soccer teams in this year’s four-day competition, May 26-29. The enthusiasm of the 22nd annual North Kitsap Soccer Club fund-raiser took the field, regardless of patches of rain that passed over the course of Memorial Day weekend.

“I love this tournament,” said tournament director Cam Corey. “The energy … when you have almost 90 teams out here playing, the energy just exudes from this tournament.”

Unfortunately, the tourney’s team turnout was down from previous years during which the Cup usually pulled in some 140 teams, Corey said, but the excitement for the game was at full capacity.

Players, aged 11-19, rallied on the fields as their fans vocally held down the sidelines with support.

Corey said Viking Cup draws teams from all over the state and he estimated that this year around 80 percent of teams were from the Puget Sound region, while there was a handful of teams that made the trip from Oregon.

Each team was allotted at least three games on the weekend, while the best teams from each division qualified for the championship playoffs, which were played Monday.

“The competition has been very good,” Corey said during the championship day. “Teams have been very well-matched and the finals and semifinals today have mostly been very competitive.”

All but four of the championship matches Monday were decided by two points or fewer.

North Kitsap had a plethora of teams that made it into the playoff rounds, however, all fell victim to the painfully close final scores.

The BU13 NK Explosion team breezed through bracket play, beating Bainbridge Island FC, Harbor FC and the Heat before downing the Revolution, 3-2 in the division semifinals.

Then in the final championship game of the Cup, the Harbor FC team was searching for redemption against Explosion.

After NK led through most of the first half with one goal, Harbor’s Cole Madden knocked in a 15-foot equalizer as the game dissolved into a defensive struggle. From then on through the end of regulation, the teams battled without resolve. Finally in overtime, Madden blasted another mid-range goal to take the 2-1 lead which Harbor would hold out for the win.

But following the post game handshakes, each team returned for high fives on a positive sideline.

“When you win you should always be proud, but even when you lose you should still always hold your head high,” said Explosion player Chris Gracey.

The Viking Cup tournament in general came out of the weekend holding its head high as dedicated volunteers once again transformed North Kitsap into a soccer mecca for the weekend, Corey said.

Though the tournament didn’t grow in terms of teams attending, it did expand its attractions. Paradise Entertainment hosted a discount carnival at the North Kitsap Baptist Church, McDonalds helped to sponsor a King of the Juggle trick ball-handling skills competition and Regal Cinemas sponsored an award for Good Sport of the Game in each championship contest.

But all of the new attractions were additions to the solid organization and volunteerism that allows the Cup to run smoothly.

“I’m very confident that, aesthetically, our tournament is one of the best in the state,” Corey said, giving thanks to the Cup committee and nearly 150 estimated volunteers who worked together to make it happen.

GRAY BOX:

North Kitsap Viking Cup Highlights

Boys

BU11 — NK Explosion 96 and NK Nationals both beat by one in respective semifinal contests.

BU12 — NK Vikings shot down in semifinal 4-1 by eventual champion Crossfire.

BU13 — NK Explosion 93 played undefeated into championship, where Gig Harbor stole a 2-1 win in overtime.

BU16/17 — NK Fusion earns admittance into finals where Tracyton bullied a 2-0 victory.

BU18/19 — NK Select tied Bainbridge FC in bracket play, then when the two met in the finals, Bainbridge came away with 4-2 win.

Girls

GU11 — NK Magic shutout in the semifinal by eventual champion Dosveedanya Red.

GU13 — NK Chaos denied by one-point heartbreaker in semifinal to eventual champion Sparta.

GU14 — NK Fuego United shutout, 5-0 in the final by the WFC Rangers.

GU16 — NK Ambush deleted from semifinal by Bainbridge FC in a shootout.

GU18/19 — NK Fuego United wins into the finals where FC Kent Xara took the championship by a count of 3-2.