A home field advantage only counts on paper.

Peninsula College’s women upended the NWAC’s No. 1-ranked Highline squad on their home turf at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila on Sept. 29, a 2-0 Pirate shutout.

Brittney Yoshimura scored on a penalty kick and Larkyn Nelson added an insurance goal at 70 minutes while P.C. keeper Emily Flinn kept the net clean thanks to a number of diving stops.

The first half ended scoreless with Highline providing the most serious threat to score, a point-blank shot on Flinn, who used one hand to fend off the ball.

One minute into the second half, Peninsula’s Alyssa Bertuleit was clipped in the penalty box and the Pirates were awarded a penalty kick. Yoshimura went left with her kick and ball hugged the post to find the back of the net.

Midway through the second half, P.C.’s Nelson picked her way around Thunderbird defenders and blasted the ball in the left corner for her fourth goal of the season.

Flinn earned her third shutout in three starts, finishing with five saves in the match.

Peninsula tallied their 10th shutout in 11 matches.

Peninsula improved to 10-1-0 overall and 8-1-0 in conference play, though the Pirates still trail Highline’s 24 points. The T-birds, who have played one more game than the Pirates, are 10-1-1 overall and 8-1-1 in league play and remain atop the division with 25 points. Bellevue, at 4-2-6 and 3-2-5, is third with 14 points.

The Pirates, ranked No. 8 in the  National Soccer Coaches Association of America Junior College Division I Poll, see their next action Friday, Oct. 3, when the women to play Bellevue’s Bulldogs at 2 p.m.