PREP SOCCER: Miller gets the record and PA gets the win
Published 3:30 pm Wednesday, March 25, 2026
PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles’ Matthew Miller got the school record, and better yet, the Roughriders soccer team hung on for a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Olympic at Wally Sigmar Field.
Coach Chris Saari said it wasn’t the Riders’ best game, but that he will always take the win and the three points.
“It wasn’t our best game, but we got the three points and the record,” said coach Chris Saari. “We’ll have to play better. We left the door open for Olympic to steal it from us.”
“To not play our best ball and still get a result. There is something in that,” he said.
Miller came in to the contest tied with Rick Smith for most career goals with 66. That record had stood since 2000. He had several chances in the first half as Port Angeles largely dominated the first 20 to 25 minutes of the match without being able to score a goal. The Riders’ best chance for a goal early came on a header by Sawyer Davis in the 10th minute that went just over the crossbar.
Miller’s best chance came in stoppage time as he took a pass from Oliver Martinez and got off a shot from a sharp angle. It got past the Olympic keeper and looked like a goal from the sideline, but the ball went just wide of the left post.
Finally, in the 50th minute, Miller got a perfect through pass from Kanyon Anderson, who had beaten a couple of Trojan defenders. The through ball sprung Miller down the left sideline past Olympic’s defenders and this time, he didn’t miss, putting the ball in the back of the net for his 67th goal.
“The pass was better than the goal,” Miller said afterward.
Miller admitted it was a relief to break the record. He has scored seven goals in just four games this season.
“There were definitely some big sighs of relief, I was looking to do it against North Mason [a game in which Miller scored four goals],” he said. “But, we got it done, which is huge.”
After Miller’s goal, the Riders then had to hang on for the win, which wasn’t easy as Olympic had some golden chances in the second half. The Trojans’ best chance came on a dangerous header in the 73rd minute. A free kick in the 75th minute forced Maverick Williams to make a tough save.
Tanner Lagrange had a good game with a nice run late in teh second half through the Trojans defense that opened him up for a shot that went high. In stoppage time, Lagrange had an even better chance as a shot looked like a goal but went just wide of the far post by literal inches.
Still in stoppage time, Olympic had one last chance with a dangerous corner kick, but the Port Angeles defenders kept the corner out of harm’s way. Williams made several solid saves during the match to earn his first shutout of the season.
“Williams had safe hands in goal and did a really good job of collecting shots and avoiding rebounds,” Saari said.
“Roldan Lara had some good moments on the right wing. He beat players to get crosses in and played some nice passes down the line to Matthew,” he said.
Saari named Anderson and Lara his transition players of the game, Miller his offensive player of the game and Davis and Williams his defensive players of the game.
Miller said the goal for this team is to make it to the state playoffs. His next personal goal? Going after the single-season scoring record of 30 goals.
The Riders (3-1, 4-1) are now off for nearly two weeks and next play April 7 against rival Sequim (1-3, 1-3) at 7:15 p.m. at Peninsula College.
Bainbridge 5, Sequim 1
SEQUIM — The Sequim boys soccer team went up against one of the elite teams in the state Tuesday night and coach Ian McCallum felt they acquitted themselves well, especially considering they are missing several players, including key senior leaders, to injury and illness.
Bainbridge won 5-1. The Spartans lost to North Kitsap 2-1 in the 2A state semifinals last year, then finished fourth at state. It appears Bainbridge and North Kitsap are among the top teams in the state again this year, though the Vikings struggled Tuesday against Kingston, winning 2-0.
“They [Bainbridge] fully have aspirations to win the state title this year,” McCallum said.
“We competed well in moments,” McCallum said. “We had a number of opportunities to score goals.”
The Wolves got their goal from Colton Anderson.
Sequim (1-3, 1-3) next hosts Olympic (0-3, 1-4) at 7 p.m. Friday in a crucial game for league standings.
In other Tuesday boys soccer games, East Jefferson lost to Vashon 4-0 in the Rivals’ first loss of the season.
East Jefferson (0-1, 3-1) played at North Mason in a nonleague game Wednesday, then hosts Charles Wright at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Port Townsend Memorial Stadium.
