The Pirates opened their 2010 Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges soccer season with a pair of non-conference matches in the wind and rain at Kasch Park in Everett Tuesday, where the men tied the Trojans 1-1 and the women fell 4-0.

 

Following a scoreless first half, the Peninsula men gave up a goal three minutes into the second half. The Pirates rallied, however, when Miguel Gonzalez, a freshman forward from Yelm, answered seven minutes later with a score.

 

P.C. midfielder Aaron Funderburk took a throw in, one-touched the ball over the defenders to a streaking Gonzalez, who took it in for a one-on-one with the Trojan keeper and put it in the net.

 

Freshman goalkeeper Jared Wilson  held Everett out of the goal in the first half and Anthony Aguilar, a freshman midfielder, played an outstanding match in the center.

 

In the women’s inaugural match, Everett scored early but the Pirates stepped up their defense and held the Trojans out of the goal for the rest of the first half to trail 1-0 at the break.

 

A sophomore-dominated Everett squad then wore down the Pirates in the second half, finding the net three times to put the match out of reach.

 

 

Coaches said freshman midfielder Tabitha Bare played very well in the center midfield for Peninsula while Michelle Groshon, a ffreshman, from Port Angeles, led the defensive effort for the Pirates.

 

“Both teams worked extremely hard,” said Andrew Chapman, Director of Soccer at Peninsula College.

 

 

“They left it on the field and I was very pleased with their effort today.”

 

The Pirates make their official home debut Thursday with the women kicking off at 3 p.m. and the men at 5 p.m. at Civic Field.