PORT ANGELES — North Region dominance continued for the Peninsula College women’s soccer team as the Pirates claimed their 13th consecutive NWAC division title after beating Skagit Valley 2-1 Wednesday evening.
Peninsula’s win over the previously unbeaten Cardinals (10-1-1, 11-1-2) came in the regular season finale for each squad — a winner-take-all match with a first-round NWAC Tournament bye on the line.
The Pirates and Skagit Valley had previously tied 0-0 in Port Angeles on Sept. 27.
All the scoring in Wednesday’s match came in the first half.
Peninsula went up 2-0, scoring first in the 11th minute on a Sydney Soskis goal assisted by Jaeda Mae Edayan.
Edayan notched the Pirates’ second goal in the 29th minute off of a double assist by Shawna Larson and Soskis.
Peninsula yielded a score back in the 33rd when Maya Kembel found the net. The Pirates managed to hang on defensively for the remaining hour of play with goalkeeper Talia Marini making one second-half save on two Skagit Valley shots.
Peninsula (10-0-2, 15-0-2) will face the winner of West No. 2 Clark and East No. 3 North Idaho in the NWAC Quarterfinals at Wally Sigmar Field on Nov. 4.
The Pirates faced North Idaho in the team’s regular season opener, winning 2-1 at home on Aug. 19.
Men win North
MOUNT VERNON — Peninsula’s men came into their regular-season finale with Skagit Valley with a playoff spot clinched, but with tournament seeding and the NWAC North Region title up for grabs.
The Pirates (8-3-1, 11-4-1) entered the game tied with Bellevue at 22 points after letting an opportunity to seal the North slip away last Saturday in a 2-0 loss to the Bulldogs.
Peninsula controlled the flow of the match against Skagit Valley, winning 3-0 to take the North after Bellevue tied 0-0 with Edmonds.
“We played with maturity, with a purpose and with a sense of redemption,” coach Jake Hughes said. “We felt like the last game against Bellevue we lost 2-0 and we were too tight, too tense, played the occasion and not the game. So we wanted to make that right and we were able to in a big way.”
Nil Grau led the Pirates’ attack with two goals, scoring in the fourth minute off a Matthew Enriquez assist and adding an 80th-minute insurance goal.
Sid Gunton-Day scored in the 34th minute to give Peninsula a 2-0 halftime lead.
“Nil had a really good game. He showed his character in a big moment,” Hughes said. “Manny Garcia worked extremely hard with the ball.”
Peninsula’s advantage grew when Skagit Valley went a man down in the 61st minute after Ben Harris picked up his second yellow card of the match.
The Pirates will host the winner between East No. 3 Wenatchee and West No. 2 Clark on Nov. 4.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at michael.carman@peninsuladailynews.com.
