Local soccer fans are in for a treat this weekend, when the University of Washington men visit Sigmar Field at Peninsula College for an exhibition match against the Pirates at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 1. Kickoff is at 10 a.m.

The Huskies, who won the Division I national championship in 2021 and reached the second round of the NCAA tourney last fall, are on their way to Victoria, B.C., and agreed to stop in Port Angeles. There, they’ll play the first college match on the new turf at Sigmar Field.

“This is the highest level of soccer we’ll see here on the North Olympic Peninsula and what a great opportunity for our players, and for the hundreds of youth and high school soccer players on the Peninsula, to see what it takes to play at the Division I level,” said Rick Ross, Associate Dean for Athletics and Student Life, in a press release.

“Coach Jamie Clark and his staff have built a world-class soccer program in Seattle and we’re thrilled to share the pitch with them on Saturday.”

The Pirates last scrimmaged the UW men in the spring of 2021 at the Husky soccer stadium.

“We had a strong team that year, but we struggled to possess the ball and do anything offensively against them,” Ross said.

“We’re managing our expectations this year as well, but just know our guys will get after it and do their best to showcase where we’re at as a nationally-ranked junior college program.”

The Pirate men and women play their Northwest Athletic Conference soccer seasons in the fall, but have a number of exhibition matches scheduled this spring. PC’s men travel to Seattle Pacific on April 22, then play Clark at noon on May 13 before traveling to Everett on May 20. The PC women are at Central Washington University on April 15, host St. Martin’s at 1 p.m. on April 22, travel to Seattle University on May 5, and then wrap up their spring schedule against NCAA Division II national champion Western Washington University on May 13 in Bellingham.