By Pierre LaBossiere
Peninsula Daily News
PORT ANGELES — As they do many years, the Peninsula College soccer men have a huge amount of turnover from last year.
But, what they were able to bring back has a lot of firepower.
The Pirates are looking to be the team to beat again in both the Northwest Conference and the NWAC North Division. Some teams might have gotten their hopes up, noticing that the Pirates graduated eight players and lost another 10 freshmen.
But Peninsula has reloaded up and down the roster and returns three of their best offensive players from last year — Cesar Gervacio, Juan Carrillo-Perez and Joey Hollimon. Gervacio, a tall forward who can score with both his head and his feet, was the North Division MVP last year, while Carillo-Perez was an All-Star and Hollimon made the All-Conference team.
Last season, Gervacio scored 13 goals and tallied two assists (and had a record-breaking five-goal game) while Carrillo-Perez scored 11 goals to go with six assists. Hollimon scored seven goals and had five assists. That returning trio accounted for an astounding 31 goals and 13 assists last year.
In addition to these dynamic scorers, Adrian Benitez is back from last year. Benitez has already had a three-assist game this season in the NWAC Friendlies Tournament against Tacoma.
“It’s great to have those guys back. The freshman who stayed are of the highest quality,” said new coach Jake Hughes. “We have plenty of ability to score.”
Hughes, a former Peninsula player who came on board this spring after former coach Cale Rodriguez took a coaching job at NCAA Division I program UC-Irvine, is confident that even with the large amount of turnover, the Pirates will continue to be a force to be reckoned with.
“It’s been challenging. I’ve been around the program for a couple of years. I’m implementing my own style while incorporating things I’ve learned from coaches over the years,” Hughes said.
“I hand-picked and recruited all the freshmen. They’re all high-character and all very talented. We have a strong core. Our spine is strong,” Hughes said.
Hughes said what he’s seen so far is that scoring will likely not be a problem for the Pirates, but that they need to work more on their defense.
“We’re highly energetic, which is good because the style of play that we produce requires that,” Hughes said. “We have some real goal scorers, [but] we need to work harder defensively. I think that will be a season-long task. It’s part and parcel of having a young team.”
New kids that Pirates fans should keep an eye on are Jose Serna (from Highland High School in Cowiche) in the center-midfielder position, Michael Benito (Rancho Buena Vista, Calif.) in the middle and Sterling Penniston-John (Las Vegas, Nev.) in the center back position. The Pirates new goalkeep will be Darius Ochoa from Roosevelt.
In fact, Ochoa and Serna are part of both a local and Washington contingent on the team. Heber Martinez, a backup goalie from Spokane, is another Washington product. And there will be a trio of local kids on the team, Tim Schneider and Jesse Salgado from Port Angeles High School and Josiah Urquia from Sequim High School.
In addition to its local flavor, the team will also have an international feel to it. Two foreign nationals have joined the team, Peter Jones of nearby Colwood, B.C., and Manuel Galiano from Savona, Italy.
Galiano, a forward, has already made an impact on the team, tallying an assist during a friendly with the University of Victoria and scoring his first goal of the season for the Pirates in a nonconference game against Spokane scored his first goal of the season for the Pirates.
“[Galiano] brings a different culture and adds a level to our program,” Hughes said. “He’s fun and fun to be around and very talented.”
Hughes said so far in this young season, it appears Spokane and Chemeketa (Oregon) will be strong and defending champion Tacoma will be a factor. Within the North Division, Whatcom and Highline figure to be tough.
“There are a lot of good teams. It’s going to be a tough league this year.”
Last year was particularly bittersweet for the Pirates. Peninsula cruised through the regular season undefeated, then lost in the quarterfinals of the NWAC playoffs in the most heartbreaking way possible, in extra penalty kicks against Tacoma. After beating Peninsula literally in the dark, Tacoma went on to win the NWAC championship.
“That’s the game. It’s a tough way to finish the season, but we have to move on. Our sophomores will use that experience. If we continue to grow and believe in the process, the sky is the limit,” Hughes said.
Hughes said that in spite of all the turnover, the goals at Peninsula have not changed — a North Division title and a deep run into the playoffs. He said part of the tradition at Peninsula is the expectation of championships, something this team won’t shrink from.
“I don’t see why that goal would change from year to year,” Hughes said.
Pirates Capsule
• Last Year: 16-1-2 overall, 14-0-1 in North Division (first); lost in NWAC quarterfinal.
• Head Coach: Jake Hughes (first season, 1-1 so far)
• Top Returners: Cesar Gervacio (forward), Juan Carrillo-Perez (forward), Joey Hollimon (forward), Adrian Benitez (midfielder).
• Newcomers: Jose Serna (center midfielder), Manuel Galiano (forward), Darius Ochoa (goalkeep), Sterling Penniston-John (center back), Jesse Salgado (center back), Tim Schneider (forward), Josiah Urquia (sweeper).
Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Juan Carrillo-Perez of Peninsula dribbles in an October 2016 match against Skagit Valley.
