BOYS SOCCER: Roughriders roar back from two-goal deficit to beat Bremerton

Published 10:30 am Sunday, March 15, 2026

PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles boys soccer team showed its toughness and resiliency, coming back from a 2-0 hole against Bremerton to beat the Knights in a furious second half 3-2 for the Roughriders’ first Olympic League victory of the season.

On a beautiful sun-drenched Saturday afternoon at the Monroe Playfield, The Riders had to really work for this win as the Knights got up 2-0 in the first 10 minutes. Bremerton scored its first goal on a Riders’ unfortunate own goal off a Bremerton free kick. The Knights got an insurance goal just two minutes later on a powerful strike from 30 yards out.

“We spotted Steilacoom a goal, too,” said coach Chris Saari. “We’ve got to stop spotting the other teams goals.” Like the Bremerton game, Port Angeles came back to beat Steilacoom 3-1.

Still, Saari said the Riders “showed a lot of poise” in rallying for the win and “sticking with the belief in themselves.”

The Riders had several chances to get on the scoreboard throughout the first half. Freshman Tanner Lagrange playing in his first home game for the Riders, had a shot from the left wing that just went wide of the far post. Matthew Miller, who pressured the Knights’ defense all game, made a big run, beat a couple of defender and got off a good left-footed shot that the Bremerton keeper stopped in the 36th minute.

Finally, in the first half stoppage time, Port Angeles’ pressure paid off when Miller beat a couple of defenders and got the ball to Lagrange for a strong shot and a goal to cut Bremerton’s lead in half.

The Roughriders dominated the early part of the second half, putting Bremerton totally on its heels for the first 15 minutes of the half. A header by Miller in the 44th minute just went high. A big shot from Aurelio Wilson-Rojero forced Bremerton’s keeper to leap high to make a save.

Finally, Wilson was rewarded for his good play when the ball came to him after a scramble off a corner kick and he pounded in a hard shot to the near post from 25 yards out in the 45th minute to equal the score at 2-2.

In the 53rd minute, Miller showed why he is an Olympic League MVP candidate, taking a pass off a corner kick from Jay Lieberman, beating two or three Bremerton defenders on the left wing and powered in a shot to give the Riders the lead. Lieberman collected an assist on the play.

“Our defense was able to clamp it down,” Lagrange said. “We just locked it down” in the second half.

Bremerton pushed forward hard in the final 10 minutes and the Knights got several golden chances for an equalizer. In the 71st minute, Bremerton had a point blank shot on a wide open net and it went just wide. A minute later, a good Bremerton shot went just a foot high over the crossbar. Port Angeles defenders Grant Butterworth and Sawyer both did a good job of repeatedly clearing the ball out of harm’s way during Bremerton’s 10-minute deluge at the end of the game

Lagrange nearly had a hat trick. He had a pair of golden opportunities in stoppage time to give the Riders an insurance goal. His first shot forced the Bremerton keeper to make a spectacular save. His second shot off a Miller pass went off the crossbar. In the end, Port Angeles’ 3-2 lead held up.

Saari named LaGrange and Miller his co-offensive players of the game, Butterworth his defensive player of the game and Wilson-Rojero his transition player of the game.

Port Angeles (1-0, 2-0) next hosts North Mason at 7 p.m. Tuesday with the game at Peninsula College.

East Jefferson 2, Olympic 1

BREMERTON — The East Jefferson boys soccer team improved to 2-0 on the season with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Olympic on Saturday.

The Rivals were down 1-0 most of the game.

“We played well overall. In the first half, we got off to a slow start,” said head coach Logan Stegner. “Olympic came out aggressive and was connecting their passes well.”

Stegner said the Rivals were much better in the second half, connecting on their passes and creating opportunities. Mateo Arceo got the tying goal in about the 60th minute and Crosby Pray followed up with the go-ahead goal in the 68th minute. Emilio Lopez picked up the victory in goal.

The Rivals began their season with a 4-2 win on the road March 10 over Yelm.

East Jefferson (2-0) begins home play at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, hosting South Whidbey at Port Townsend Memorial Stadium in a nonleague game.