Local soccer fans will have an opportunity to see some high-level soccer on Saturday, April 27, when Peninsula College hosts teams from Olympic Peninsula Force (Bremerton), Olympic Football Club (Olympia) and Artesians II (Olympia) at the annual Rumble in the Rainforest.
Six one-hour matches begin at 9 a.m. and run through 4:30 p.m. at Wally Sigmar Field, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd.
Admission is $5 for the general public (no passes) and free to current Peninsula College students and to children 12 and younger.
“I am looking forward to this event. It is a chance to see what next year’s team will look like as we will be playing with a freshman dominated roster,” Pirate women’s head coach Kanyon Anderson said.
“After a tough loss to Western last weekend we are looking to improve and get back on the winning side of things,” said Anderson, who is coming off his fourth Northwest Athletic Conference championship.
The Pirate women opened their spring scrimmage season last Friday where they fell to the Vikings at Western Washington University, 3-0.
In addition to the nationally-ranked NWAC champions, who went 19-2-1 last fall, the women’s field features Oly-Pen Force, who went 8-9 in the Northwest Premier League in 2018, and Olympic FC, a women’s club team made up of college players and high school standouts from Olympia.
The PC men, who reached the playoffs for the 14th straight season last fall, are also preparing to test their freshmen.
“I’m excited about the teams coming in to the Rumble this year,” PC head men’s coach Jake Hughes said. “It gives our freshmen players an opportunity to develop and prepare for upcoming season against well-coached opponents.
“It also give our sophomore players an opportunity to sharpen their skills before they move on. So far, we have had a great spring season, and the Rumble is a big part of it.”
In addition to the Pirates, who went 11-6-2 last fall, placing second in the North Region and earning a national ranking, the men’s tournament features Oly-Pen Force, an amateur club team that plays in the Evergreen Premier League where they placed fourth in the Cascade Division in 2018, as well as Artesians II, a team made up of college and community players from Olympia.
The Pirate men defeated Harbor Soccer Club from Gig Harbor 5-0 Sunday, April 14, in the first scrimmage of their spring schedule.
They travel to Warner Pacific on May 4 and to Bellevue Community College on May 11 to close out their spring scrimmage schedule.
2019 Rumble in the Rainforest schedule
9 a.m. — PC vs. Oly-Pen Force (women)
10:15 a.m. — PC vs. Oly-Pen Force (men)
11:30 a .m. — Olympic FC vs. Oly-Pen Force (men)
12:45 p.m. — Artesians II vs. Oly-Pen Force (men)
2 p.m. — PC vs. Olympic FC (women)
3:15 p.m. — PC vs. Artesians II (men)
