PORT ANGELES — Kingston coach Craig Smith was more thrilled than anybody after the Buccaneers defeated Port Angeles 2-0 at Civic Field.
“Good game. Wow,” Smith said with unbridled excitement as the teams lined up to shake hands following Tuesday’s match.
Obviously, Smith was stoked that Kingston won the showdown between Olympic League 2A’s last remaining unbeaten teams.
But he also was impressed with the Roughriders, and that his team was able to pick up three valuable league points.
“Port Angeles was relentless. They were stubborn. They played like champions,” Smith said.
“We’re a better team after playing them.”
Alex Barrett scored the game’s first goal in the 15th minutes, soon after subbing into the game.
He made it 2-0 by scoring during a scramble in front of the Port Angeles goal in the 56th minute.
“Well, the recipe is to bend and not break, and we conceded early in the first half,” Riders coach Chris Saari said.
“We could have been a little bit sharper defensively there.
“But if you’re giving up goals, obviously you’ve got to dig yourself out of that hole.”
Port Angeles struggled to mount an offensive attack for most of the game.
Part of that had to do with the Buccaneers frustrating the Riders’ offense by double-teaming leading scorer Lukas Mobius.
“We also didn’t get that many quality chances, so we’re going to have to work on our offense and our movement and our passing game,” Saari said.
Kingston had several opportunities to put the game away, but each time the Riders made a big defensive play to keep themselves close.
Goalkeeper Keenan Leslie blocked Alex Hernandez’s penalty kick in the first half.
And that might not have even been Port Angeles’ best save of the game.
Jackson May played forward the entire match, but he put his backup goalkeeper skills to work by making goal line saves in the 26th, 34th and 66th minutes.
“We stayed in it,” Saari said.
What the Riders now take away from Tuesday’s loss is a first-hand knowledge of what they’re chasing in the final three weeks of the regular season.
“Just that we have to get better because they’re kind of setting the bar for league right now,” Saari said.
“They knocked the ball around better than any team we’ve played so far.
“Soccer sense-wise and skill-wise and movement, they were definitely the best team we’ve played.”
Port Angeles gets another shot at Kingston on Saturday, April 30, on the road.
The Buccaneers (4-0-0, 12 points; 7-0-1 overall) and the Riders (4-1-0, 12 points; 6-1-1 overall) are still tied for first as far as points go, but Kingston is unbeaten and has played one less league game.
Port Angeles holds a three-point lead over North Kitsap (3-1-0, nine points; 3-1-2).
The Riders host Olympic 1A leader Klahowya (1-0-0, 6-1-1) at Civic Field tonight at 6:45 p.m.
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Sports Editor Lee Horton can be reached at 360-417-3525 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.