Women’s soccer: No. 2-ranked Pirates edge Dolphins, Trojans

North Division standings

By Michael Dashiell • October 5, 2016 1:30 am
Peninsula's Marriah Perez gets deep into Shoreline territory in the second half of the Pirates' 3-0 home victory on Sept. 28. Perez had an assist in the victory. Dolphin Kayla Holland defends the play. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
Peninsula's Marriah Perez gets deep into Shoreline territory in the second half of the Pirates' 3-0 home victory on Sept. 28. Perez had an assist in the victory. Dolphin Kayla Holland defends the play. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell

North Division standings

Team Conf. Over.

Peninsula 7-0-0 8-1-1

Whatcom 5-1-1 6-2-2

Everett 3-4-0 5-5-0

Shoreline 2-2-3 4-2-3

Edmonds 1-5-1 1-7-1

Sk. Valley 0-6-1 0-7-2

Games against teams like Shoreline can be a grind, Peninsula College head coach Kanyon Anderson says.

Fortunately for his Pirates, now ranked No. 2 in the most recent Under Armour coaches poll, they have experience winning those kinds of matches.

Peninsula, ranked No. 3 in the Northwest Athletic Conference and No. 20 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division I Junior College Poll, remained perfect in division play (6-0-0) with a 3-0 win at home against Shoreline’s Dolphins on Sept. 28, getting two scores from Ellie Small and a third from Cierra Hamilton.

“Shoreline’s not an easy team to play,” Anderson said. “It didn’t always look good, but that’s a good team to play against. I thought we looked a little sloppy at times. Part of that is mistakes we made.”

The Pirates continue to league the NWAC in defense, giving up only four goals in nine matches — all of those coming in preseason outings — to match four goals surrendered by North Idaho.

PC keeper Akari Hoshino, who has combined on a handful of shutouts this year, earned her fourth solo shutout and earned high praise from Anderson.

Small, who leads the Pirates in goals with six, sparked the offense with a score at 29 minutes with an assist from Marriah Perez.

Hamilton made it 2-0 just before halftime, set up by PC assists leader Kelly Kevershan, now with five on the season.

Small added a score at 78 minutes, with Maddy Parton assisting.

Anderson said he wouldn’t be surprised to see the Dolphins, who have allowed just nine goals this year after the Sept. 28 match, four to PC — return to the NWAC tournament.

“That’s definitely a playoff team right there,” he said.

PC upends Everett

Peninsula closed out its week with a 1-0 win against the unranked Everett’s Trojans, with Perez getting the game’s lone score off an Ellie Small assist at 36 minutes.

Hoshino recorded the shutout, her NWAC-leading fifth of the season (tied).

Looking ahead

Peninsula is back on the home pitch against Skagit Valley on Oct. 5 and Oct. 8 versus Whatcom and Oct. 15 versus Shoreline.

The Pirates then have a three-game road swing — Oct. 19 at Everett, Oct. 22 at Skagit Valley and Oct. 26 at Whatcom — before finishing the regular season at home against Edmonds.

The NWAC tournament opens Nov. 2 with pigtail playoff games and quarterfinals on Nov. 5. The Final Four is set for Nov. 11-13 at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila.