Maybe Federal Way really is a soccer town.

It’s no secret the city has produced its fair share of decorated soccer stars over the years, and it has its own star, Fawzi Belal, helping shape its youth.

But in-between are high school coaches Aaron Howe, Jason Baumgardt, Joel Lindberg and Dave Hanson, the quartet tasked with preparing players for the next level. Hanson (Thomas Jefferson) and Lindberg (Todd Beamer) have graduated Quinn Landrud, Connor Thompson (Jefferson) and Christian Guzman (Beamer) to the Pierce College program the last two years, where the three have made names for themselves in very short time.

Landrud received the Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week award on Sept. 7 for his game-saving goal against the Chemeketa College Storm (Ore.) on Sept. 3.

“Quinn is a solid player,” Pierce College coach Luck Helling-Christy said. “He’s a versatile player. He’s naturally a defender, but you get a solid defender with impressive offensive skills. It makes for a great combination.”

In just its third match of the season, Pierce College needed a win in the worst way. It started its season 1-2 and had a goals against margin of 5-3.

Pierce found itself down 1-0 with just four minutes left to play, facing its third loss and third clean sheet of the season, when Landrud stepped up in the biggest way.

Helling-Christy pushed his defenders forward, allowing Landrud to put a touch on the ball and put it past Storm goalkeeper Rolando Garcia, giving the Raiders the 1-1 draw.

“I just wanted to do anything I could to help our team,” Landrud said. “We were pushing forward, and I just kind of found the ball at my feet and was able to get us the goal.

“It felt great. This is a close team, we really like playing together, and the first couple weeks of the season have been tough. So I’m just glad I could keep us from a loss.”

For Landrud, his game-saving goal was a continuation of his hot streak from the week prior, when he scored two of Pierce’s three goals in its 3-0 win over Southwestern Oregon.

Landrud is on the rise, and he has two familiar faces cheering him on.

His Jefferson teammate Connor Thompson and rival Christian Guzman of Todd Beamer High School are also members of the Raiders men’s soccer team.

As seniors for Thomas Jefferson earlier this year, Landrud and Thompson led the Raiders to a 8-5-3 record, which resulted in a playoff birth.

Guzman, who in his sophomore year, is the veteran of the trio now at Pierce College. Landrud and Thompson are both freshmen. Thompson starts in net for the Raiders, while Guzman is Pierce’s leader midfield.

“There’s no doubt there is a talent pool of players in Federal Way,” Helling-Christy said. “I think we were very fortunate to get these three guys and that another program didn’t get them.”

The local trio is in action again at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday as they host Highline College.