Olympic League standings

(as of March 26)

Team Lg. Over.

North Kitsap 4-0-0 6-0-0

Kingston 3-1-0 3-1-1

Sequim 2-1-0 2-1-1

Port Angeles 2-1-0 3-2-0

Bremerton 1-3-0 2-3-0

North Mason 1-2-0 1-3-0

Olympic 0-4-0 0-5-1

A tough 10-minute stretch in the second half was the difference in an evenly matched game between the Wolves and the league-leading Vikings, as the visiting Vikings knocked off Sequim 2-0 on March 24.

“I was super encouraged,” coach Dave Brasher said. “I thought we played really well.”

Brasher said his team had the better chances in a scoreless first half.

“Liam Harris had a shot on goal and then Josiah Urquia had a hard shot that hit the keeper in the hand and we couldn’t clean it up.”

Freshman Navy Thomas-Brenske made his first start in goal and Brasher said he was “outstanding.”

In the 49th minute, North Kitsap earned a corner kick after Thomas-Brenske made a good save on a Vikings shot.

“They got a corner and scored on the corner out of a scramble,” Brasher said. “We cleared it once and they knocked it in.”

On the play, Sequim defender Brandon Benson was elbowed in the side of the head.

“He got up and seemed all right, but ended up tripping a guy and giving up a penalty kick,” Brasher said. “We pulled him from the game and Navy made the save on the penalty kick to keep us in it.”

With Benson out, the team had to realign its formation and North Kitsap ended up sending a ball through the defense for a breakaway goal and a 2-0 lead in the 56th minute.

“A little 5-10 minute burst and it was 2-0,” Brasher said. “We pressured at the end, Liam got called offsides and Evan (James) had a header that went just wide.”

On March 21, the Wolves dominated on a soggy North Mason field, got yet another hat trick from Harris and nearly got a shutout in a 3-1 win over the Bulldogs.

It was Harris’ third hat trick of the year. He has scored 10 goals in three games so far this year. He scored 11 goals all of last season.

“The score was closer than the game was,” Brasher said.

Sequim had 22 shots to North Mason’s one and the Wolves forced North Mason goalie Dylan Abad into making 12 saves.

The Wolves’ first goal in Tuesday’s match came on a header by Harris in the 16th minute, assisted by Mathew Craig. Harris scored again in the 37th minute from 25 yards out, assisted by Sean Weber.

Harris scored the Wolves’ third goal in the 54th minute on a pass slotted up the middle by Craig, who picked up his second assist.

The Wolves came within a minute of a shutout, but the Bulldogs scored in the 79th minute. Nick Janikic and Thomas-Brenske combined to play goalie in Sequim’s win.

Looking ahead

Sequim was slated to play Forks at Peninsula College on March 27 and at Port Angeles on March 28 — results of the matches were not available at press time.

The Wolves are at Kingston on March 31 and host Ketchikan, a team from Alaska, on April 6. Sequim hosts Bremerton on April 11.