North Division standings (as of Sept. 20)

Peninsula 3-0-0 5-0-1

Whatcom 3-0-0 4-1-0

Edmonds 2-1-0 5-2-0

Skagit Valley 1-2-0 3-2-0

Everett 0-3-0 1-3-2

Shoreline 0-3-0 1-4-0

Enough of this come-from-behind business. On their home field, Peninsula’s Pirates proved to be the better squad from start to finish — with some chippiness thrown in at the end.

The Pirates (3-0 in conference play, 5-0-1 overall), who’ve had to rebound from halftime deficits in each of the past four games, scored a win in their first home game of the 2016 campaign after knocking off Skagit Valley 5-1 on Sept. 17.

“I thought we moved the ball well today,” PC head coach Cale Rodriguez said. “We got behind them and that opened up some scoring opportunities.”

Peninsula jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first half, getting a header from Jason Ramos off a free kick at 29 minutes and a penalty kick score from Juan Carrillo just before halftime.

PC got a gift goal when confusion between the Cardinal keeper and a defender led to an own goal, but Skagit closed the gap to 3-1 when a turnover led to an Armando Farias’ score.

Peninsula answered with back-to-back scores in the final 10 minutes, as Joey Hollimon notched a score at 83 minutes off a Demar Stewart assist and added a penalty kick score with five minutes remaining.

The Cardinals lost their composure a bit down the stretch, picking up four yellow cards in all and pulling their keeper after an argument with the referee in the waning moments.

Brannon Dwyer picked up the win for PC in goal, making two saves.

“It was good to be playing on our own field,” Rodriguez said, after coaching the Pirates in seven road matches to open the season.

Topping the Trojans

PC needed a bit of a wake-up call on Sept. 14 after giving up two early goals, but the Pirates wound up erupting for five second half goals and a 5-2 victory at Everett.

Trojan Jason Bradbury caught PC keeper Sergio Uribe off guard with a 35-foot strike late in the first half and Ariaan Cardenas made it 2-0 Everett about five minutes before the half after a scramble in the box.

Peninsula got on the board at the 50-minute mark when Salvador Vargas put a corner kick into the box and Maron Nava crossed it back, where sophomore defender Jose Soto headed it into the Trojan goal.

The Pirates got the equalizer at 66 minutes when Soto played a ball over the back line for Carrillo, who beat a defender off the dribble and slotted the ball into the right corner.

PC took its first lead of the day when Vargas, a sophomore midfielder from Nevada, launched a shot off the left post that ricocheted in for a 3-2 lead at 70 minutes.

Peninsula got insurance scores at 77 and 81 minutes from a pair of freshmen, Adrian Benitez and Kevin Medina.

Pirate keepers Dwyer and Uribe combined for two saves to get the win.

Looking ahead

The Pirates, ranked No. 1 in the latest Under Armour NWAC Men’s Soccer Poll, are back in action against the No. 6-ranked Whatcom Orcas on Sept. 21.

PC hosts No. 9-ranked Edmonds on Sept. 24 and Shoreline on Sept. 28.

“We try to get better every single day,” Rodriguez said. “(We have) tough division play. I’m just trying to get these guys focused, ready to play.”