Peninsula College’s soccer squad continue to be a tough draw for NWAC foes.
PC’s women shut out Bellevue 6-0 while the Pirate earned a 1-1 draw against the Bulldogs in a pair of conference games on Oct. 26 in Port Angeles.
Port Angeles High grad Emilia Long scored a pair of goals less than a minute part to open the scoring in leading the PC women to their ninth conference victory. The pirates remain atop the North Division with a 9-0-0 conference mark and 11-0-1 overall.
Chiaki Takase made it 3-0 off an assist from Briana-Jean Tanaka at the 25-minute mark, and Kenzie Banner added Peninsula’s fourth goal, unassisted, about five minutes later.
Katie McDermott slotted a score off an Allysun Gerke feed a little before the halftime whistle.
Sydney Soskis capped the scoring finishing off a scramble in front of the Bellevue net; Tanaka earned a second assist of the game.
Hannah Wagner, a 2022 Sequim High graduate, said the cohesiveness on the team puts Peninsula on another level.
“We’re a family, we play as a family,” she said after Wednesday’s win.
“We help each other get better.”
The team features players from across the globe, and Wagner said they blend well together and learn a lot from each other. She pointed to the influence of Takase, a sophomore midfielder from Kaisei, Japan.
“Her level of play [is amazing]; we learn a lot playing with her and against her in practice.”
Wagner also said PC coaches do a great job preparing the squad for play.
“We have our fundamentals but they take [them] to the next level,” she said. “They keep our heads in the game.”
In the men’s game, Bellevue — currently fifth in the North Region — opened the scoring when Keegan Storkson converted off a corner kick at the 23rd minute.
Peninsula (11-2-3 in conference, 14-2-3 overall) found the equalizer just before the halftime whistle when Kai Biegler scored off an Inchun Hun assist.
Neither team managed to find the net in the second half.
Peninsula hosts Skagit Valley on Saturday, Sept. 29, in both teams’ final tune-up for the NWAC postseason.
The NWAC Soccer Championship games are set for Nov. 11 and Nov. 13 at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila.
PC’s women are looking to earn their sixth NWAC title since 2012; PC earned titles in 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018 and last fall. They also placed second in 2014, 2017 and 2019.
Peninsula’s men are seeking their sixth title since 2010 and second under Jake Hughes, who led PC to a title in 2019.
Wagner said the Pirate women are aiming for yet another title.
“That’s what we’re hoping for,” she said Wednesday. “We’re always working. We can’t get comfortable.”
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Peninsula’s Maylin Rivera, left, and Kira Meechudhone vie for the ball against Bellevue’s Samantha Corrales in the second half of a 6-0 PC home win on Oct. 26.
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Peninsula’s Emilia Long, left, looks to get past Bellevue’s Malia Fernandez in a 6-0 Pirate home win on Oct. 26.
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Peninsula’s Kiarra Scheib (28) advances the ball downfield in the second half of a 6-0 PC win over visiting Bellevue on oct. 26. Looking on are teammates Hannah Wagner (22), a Sequim High grad, and Kira Meechudhone (19).
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Peninsula’s Sydney Soskis, left, looks to get past Bellevue’s Ammaya Robinett in the second half of a 6-0 PC shutout of the Bulldogs on Oct. 26.
