PORT ANGELES — Both sides came away satisfied with Saturday’s second Rainshadow Rumble girls soccer contest between Port Angeles and Sequim.
The Roughriders came out on top, 1-0, thanks to a 53rd minute goal by defender Teagan Clark, who followed up her penalty-kick miss with a rebound score to eventually earn the fourth consecutive one-goal match between the teams and Port Angeles’ third straight win in the rivalry.
“I was happy that we created so many shooting opportunities. By my stats, we had 23 shots,” Riders coach Scott Moseley said. “We needed to finish better. I’d say it was one of our best passing games, but we still could be better.
“Sequim also defended well. It’s always tough to score on them. And it was a one-goal game that seems to be the case for the last two or three years.”
Port Angeles (5-1) picked up its third straight shutout this season with the win.
But the Wolves’ defense also held its own, thanks to a standout effort by goalkeeper Olivia Hare, and Sequim bounced back from a rough week that saw eight starters miss an earlier game with East Jefferson, most due to injuries.
“I am so thrilled at how they played today,” Wolves coach Derek Vander Velde said. “It’s tough to bounce back from something like that, but we worked at coming in and being mentally prepared. And our goal today was to frustrate and play in kind of a new system, and I thought we did that.
“I’m really proud of our girls. A 1-0 loss in a game like this isn’t a loss to me, it’s more of a victory moving forward. Olivia was great, everybody stepped up, including our JV players, to fill in for some of those injuries that we had.”
Vander Velde said the new system was designed with Port Angeles star Millie Long in mind.
“We know that Millie is a strong attacking piece, and she will drift from the inside to the outside. So that was something we were counting on. So we focused on being aware of her. I didn’t want to man mark anybody, but if we could defend as a team we’d be in good shape.”
Long still had a number of quality opportunities, but Hare made a solid save on a point-blank shot in the first, and Long couldn’t quite find the space or the angle to find the net on her other chances.
Hare also made a tip save over the crossbar on a Clark free kick that was destined for the goal.
The best scoring chance of the first half came when Bailee Larson’s circular move to find space and left-footed blast beat Hare to the far post but glanced off the bar.
Larson was active and assertive all day in midfield.
“I thought that Bailee had a great game,” Moseley said. “She settles the ball so well, she’s very deceptive with her dribbling. In the 34th minute she made the move and hit the ball off the crossbar and we all thought that was going in.”
Momentum continued to build in Port Angeles’ direction offensively and Long beat an on-rushing Hare and earned a penalty kick when she was taken to the ground in the 53rd.
Clark’s penalty kick was swatted away to the right side of the goal by Hare, but Clark stayed with the play and found the far corner of the net with a follow-up goal.
It was the third goal of the season in just five games for the junior defender.
“Olivia is tough, she’s a really good keeper and it’s hard to score on her,” Clark said.
“When I kicked it, I watched where my foot went and I then I looked up and Olivia had saved it and I had the thought ‘I have to go kick it.’ It’s kind of scary, you have to react really quickly [to loose balls after penalty kicks].”
Port Angeles hosts East Jefferson at Peninsula College on Tuesday, while Sequim (2-4) hosts Klahowya (4-1-1)
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-406-0674 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
