North Division Standings (as of Sept. 20)

Peninsula 3-0-0 4-1-1

Whatcom 3-0-0 4-1-1

Shoreline 1-1-1 3-1-1

Everett 1-2-0 3-3-0

Edmonds 0-2-1 0-4-1

Skagit Valley 0-3-0 0-4-1

The calm before the storm?

Peninsula’s women got a pair of shutout victories last week heading into their showdown with North Division rival Whatcom in Bellingham on Sept. 21.

On Sept. 14, the Pirates dominated their hosts from Everett 4-0 in a game that exacted a bit of revenge from 2015.

PC’s lone conference loss last season came at Everett’s Kasch Park; they wound up 14-1 against conference foes.

This time around, the Pirates wasted little time in jumping ahead. Maddy Parton, a freshman forward from Leavenworth, broke through in the game’s first minute on an assist from sophomore Hoku Afong.

The Pirates made it 2-0 just 15 minutes later on a goal by freshman midfielder Jazmin Ramos.

Everett kept PC out of the net for most of the second half until sophomore forward Ellie Small, a 10-goal scorer in 2015, notched her first goal of the season thanks to a feed from freshman Sarah Reiber.

The Pirates capped the scoring in the 83rd minute when Afong earned her second assist, getting the ball to Bri Vallente for a 4-0 final.

Peninsula keeper Akari Hoshino, a walk-on from Tokyo, Japan, earned the shutout with four saves.

Capping the Cardinals

On Sept. 17, Peninsula opened their home conference schedule with a 6-0 thrashing against an outmatched and shot-handed Skagit Valley squad.

“Our possession in the midfield was key to this game as we were able to keep the ball from Skagit for a majority,” Peninsula head coach Kanyon Anderson said.

Peninsula wasted little time in taking control, scoring goals in the second and third minutes. Afong scored on an assist from Kennady Whitehead and Parton followed with a header off a cross from Cierra Hamilton.

The Cardinals were credited with an own goal trying to block a sharply struck cross from Afong for the third goal in the 18th minute.

PC made it 4-0 on a goal by Sydney Warren, assisted by Audrey Barham, in the 25th minute.

Kelly Kevershan set up Bri Vallente for a score and 5-0 Pirate lead seven minutes later.

Peninsula’s reserves took it from there, with 2015 Sequim High grad Heidi Vereide capping the scoring after ripping a shot from outside the box, curling it into the upper right corner.

“We were able to play every player on the roster and keep a shutout,” Anderson said. “We seem to have found our goal scoring knack in the last few games.”

The Pirates have yet to concede a goal in three conference matches, out-scoring foes 11-0.

Looking ahead

Peninsula, ranked No. 3 in the NWAC and No. 20 in the national junior college poll, tackles unranked Whatcom (3-0, 4-1-1) on the road on Sept. 21.

The Pirates then host a struggling Edmonds team (0-2-1, 0-4-1) on Sept. 24 and No. 8-ranked Shoreline (1-1-1, 3-1-1) on Sept. 28.