MOUNT VERNON — The No. 1-ranked Peninsula College men’s soccer team remained unbeaten and the No. 1-ranked women tied in two low-scoring road games at Skagit Valley on Saturday.
The men won 1-0, getting their lone goal in the 60th minute, while the women, though dominating with the number of shots on goal, tied the Cardinals 0-0.
The men, 9-0-0 on the season, got their goal in the 60th minute off a corner kick. The corner kick was headed 20 feet in the air and out of the penalty box by a Cardinals defender. Jeong Hyun Kang hit a powerful one-time shot before the ball hit the ground from 20 yards out to score. The goal was unassisted.
Peninsula did dominate in shots, with 18 total and 11 on goal. Skagit Valley had just four shots and two on goal.
It was a physical game with seven yellow cards, four on the Pirates and three on the Cardinals. There were also 28 total fouls, 14 on each team.
Ian Dalton picked up both the shutout and the win. It was the sixth shutout in nine games for the Pirates.
Women’s game
The women had a frustrating game against the second-place Cardinals. The women had 19 shots and 10 on goal, but couldn’t break through for a score. Skagit Valley had just three shots and one on goal.
It was the second 0-0 tie for the women this season and their seventh shutout. Goalkeeper Musuai Isaia picked up the credit for the shutout.
Still, the draw gave the women a point and keeps them in first place in the North (6-0-1, 19 points). Skagit Valley remained a distant second (3-1-3, 12 points).
Peninsula next hosts Edmonds (2-4-1, 3-7-1) at 4 p.m. Wednesday. The women host Edmonds (3-4-0, 4-7-0) at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
While the Pirates’ men are ranked No. 1 in the NWAC, North Region rival Whatcom, which is also 9-0-0, is ranked No. 2 in the NWAC. Peninsula and Whatcom meet for the first time at Wally Sigmar Field in Port Angeles on Saturday.
Ranked No. 2 for the women is Highline in the West Region. The Highline and Peninsula women have played three times for the NWAC championship since 2016, with Peninsula winning two out of three.
