PENINSULA COLLEGE SOCCER: Men earn draw with Everett to remain in first place

PORT ANGELES — The Peninsula College men’s soccer team remained in first place in the highly competitive North Region after a 2-2 tie with Everett, another one of the top teams in the region.

Everett is the only team that has been able to beat Peninsula, 4-2 earlier this season. The Pirates were only about 11 minutes away from a potential revenge victory over the Trojans when Everett scored in the 80th minute Saturday at Wally Sigmar Field to knot the game up at 2-2.

Meanwhile, the No. 1-ranked Peninsula women continued cruising, easily beating Everett 8-0.

The Peninsula men fell behind 2-1 when the Trojans netted a goal in the 16th minute. The Pirates responded with a pair of goals within 6½ minutes. Tim Deser got an unassisted equalizer in the 30th minute on a beautiful free kick from 40 yards out that went past a pack of Pirates and Trojans amassed in the penalty area and floated just over the goalkeeper’s outstretched hand.

Tsubasa Abe put the Pirates ahead 2-1 in the 37th minute on a point-blank shot after getting a pass from Inchun Hun, who picked up an assist.

Much as the score ended up a draw, the teams’ stats were similar. Everett and Peninsula each had 10 shots. Peninsula had five shots on goal and Everett six.

With the draw, the Pirates picked up a point to continue leading a top-heavy North Region. Peninsula is 8-1-2 for 26 points (11-1-2 overall), while Whatcom is 7-1-3, 24 points; Everett is 7-2-2, 23 points and Skagit Valley is 7-2-2, 23 points. Even fifth-place Bellevue is 5-3-3 for 18 points.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Pirates as they travel to Whatcom on Wednesday. The Orcas and Pirates tied in their first meeting this year.

Women’s match

The Peninsula women went into the half up just 2-0 against Everett, but erupted for six goals in the second half to run away with the match 8-0.

Millie Long, Chiaki Takase and Briana-Jean Tanaka all scored two goals. Karenza Chavez scored a goal and Hannah Wagner of Sequim High School added her first goal of the year for the Pirates.

Long, who has 13 goals for the season, added an assist, while Taya Bohenko and Allysun Gerke also had assists. Talia Marini and Hedvig Persson each played goalkeeper and combined for five saves. It was the Pirates’ fourth straight shutout and seventh shutout of the year.

In fact, since allowing three goals in the season-opener back in August, the Pirates have allowed just one goal in their past eight matches. And that one goal came in the 87th minute of an 11-1 blowout.

Peninsula (6-0-0, 8-0-1) next plays at Whatcom (2-2-2, 2-5-2) on Wednesday.