Mia Gagnon, center, midfielder for the Port Angeles Roughriders girls soccer team, is joined by her teammates while announcing her intent to play soccer for Bellevue College. (Pierre LaBossiere/Peninsula Daily News)

Mia Gagnon, center, midfielder for the Port Angeles Roughriders girls soccer team, is joined by her teammates while announcing her intent to play soccer for Bellevue College. (Pierre LaBossiere/Peninsula Daily News)

GIRLS SOCCER: Roughriders’ Mia Gagnon moving on to the big city

PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles’ Mia Gagnon came in to the Port Angeles girls soccer program with a bang, according to her high school coach.

She leaves the program as the latest college signee.

Gagnon, primarily a midfielder for the Roughriders, is signing to play with Bellevue College, a member of the Northwest Athletic Conference. She’s one of several members of a program that won three straight Olympic 2A League championships to move on to college programs.

She wasn’t a huge scorer for the Riders, but her coach Scott Moseley said “she burst on the scene with five goals as a freshman.” She later settled into a role as a defensive midfielder, but Moseley said she was the best dribbler on the team and the most skilled on the team with her feet.

“Everyone on this team has been nutmegged by Mia in practice,” Moseley said, bringing a laugh from Gagnon’s teammates.

A nutmeg is when a soccer player shoots or passes a ball through another player’s legs. It takes a tremendous amount of skill.

“In 2019, she clinched a league title by nutmegging the keeper,” Moseley added.

Moseley said Gagnon is a good lesson in “self-recruiting,” when an athlete goes out of their way to connect their sports to what they’re looking for in an education.

Gagnon said she is interested in studying pre-medicine at Bellevue. She considers this a huge accomplishment.

“I’m the first person in my family going to play sports in college,” she said.

Gagnon said Bellevue is obviously a big city and much different from Port Angeles, but felt it was a perfect move for her.

“I really like the diversity of the players and I like the area,” Gagnon said. “I’m excited for the big city.”

Unlike a lot of Roughrider athletes, Gagnon specializes in one sport, soccer. She had cousins who played the game and she picked it up very young. She’s also looking forward to continuing to see and play against many of her Roughrider teammates, who are sprinkled on teams throughout the NWAC.

“It’ll be exciting to see how they’ve all gotten better,” she said.

More in Sports

KEITH THORPE/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
Port Angeles' Kaleb Mullen, right, looks back at North Kitsap catcher Greyson Prichard after making it home in the second inning as Mullen's teammate, Rylan Politia waits to bat on Tuesday at Volunteer Field.
Sequim's Simon Hare (15) heads the ball against Bainbridge in Sequim on Tuesday. (Michael Dashiell/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
PREP SOCCER: Sequim narrowly loses to Bainbridge

Sequim scored first and came close to equalizing late, but… Continue reading

Forks' Gunner Rogers pitches to a Pe Ell/Willapa Valley batter in the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday at Fred Orr Park. Rogers was the winning pitcher in a 10-6 victory. (Lonnie Archibald/for Peninsula Daily News)
AREA SPORTS BRIEFS: Kids’ fishing derby to be held April 6

The Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishers are sponsoring another Kids’… Continue reading

Port Angeles softball player Lynzee Reid pitches against Bremerton last week. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Lynzee Reid, Port Angeles softball

Port Angeles’ Lynzee Reid had a great week for the Roughriders softball… Continue reading

Klahhane gymnasts and brothers Liam and Conor DeWolf both won all-around state championships earlier this month in Vancouver. (Courtesy photo)
MEN’S GYMNASTICS: Klahhane brothers all-around state champs

Brothers Conor DeWolf, 16, and Liam DeWolf, 14, both won… Continue reading

Wings Up defeated the fall league champion I’d Hit That earlier this month 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 28-26) to win the Peninsula Volleyball League’s Winter League A Division championship at Peninsula College. Wings Up, made up of players mostly from the Sequim area, finished the regular season atop the standings with an 8-1 record before advancing through the playoffs. Set For Life placed third. From left, back row, are Ben Cowan, Cody Cowan and Jared Fodge. From left, front row, are Tayler Breckenridge, Brittney Gale and Tristen Myers. Not pictured is Allie Gale. (Peninsula College)

 
 

Photo (L-R) Ben Cowan, Cody Cowan, Jared Fodge

Tayler Breckenridge, Brittney Gale, Tristen Myers

Not pictured: Allie Gale
PENINSULA VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE: Wings up, Chewblocka champions and A and B leagues

(Top) Wings Up defeated the fall league champion I’d Hit That earlier… Continue reading

PREP BASEBALL: Rivals get solid pitching, but lose to Cascade Christian

The East Jefferson baseball team got an outstanding performance this… Continue reading