PORT ANGELES — The Peninsula College men’s soccer team has already made history with the first back-to-back titles in the NWAC since 2012-2013.
Now, some of the freshmen are already thinking about making bigger history next year — A threepeat.
The Pirates are coming off a 3-0 win in the title game against Clark on Sunday, their first championship in the Jake Hughes era that didn’t involve a penalty kick shootout. This came after an 11-round penalty kick win over Highline in the 2023 championship game. The players describe the feeling this week as being drunk on emotions.
When asked if the freshmen have already given thought to doing it again in 2025, defensive player Jeremie Kuelo said, “actually, yeah.”
“Our attitude is we want to be the first team in history to do it. They [the sophomores] gave it to us this year and we want to pass it on to the freshmen next year,” Kuelo said.
The Pirates will have one of their star players from this season, Ezrah Ochoa, on the team next year. Ochoa scored four goals in the postseason and was named the NWAC postseason MVP.
“I feel super grateful,” Ochoa said. “I’m more grateful about the team’s outcome.”
Like the women, the men love the atmosphere at Peninsula. The men come from far and wide, some coming from Japan and Australia. Leading scorer Nil Grau is from Spain, goalkeeper Laurin Lettow and Kuelo are both from Germany. And Ochoa is from Yakima.
But they all found a home at Peninsula College.
“The first day I arrived here, it was at night,” Grau said. “I knew this was going to be a great experience. Everyone helped me with my bags. The girls met us and gave us food. It was different from what we were used to. 100 percent, it was the best two years of my life.”
“I will never forget the spirit of the team. There were never any problems between the guys and if there was a problem, we would talk about it and solve it and … two rings,” said Lettow.
Like the women’s team, the men had to overcome some adversity in the postseason. Before their quarterfinals game against Tacoma, Nil Grau, who led the team and the NWAC in goals and points, injured his hamstring. The team at first thought he was out for the year.
Against Tacoma, Austin Collins was moved to Grau’s striker position and responded with two goals.
Grau was able to come back and play a few minutes in the semifinal win over Walla Walla. The Pirates won with a goal from Ochoa, who scored four total in the postseason after scoring 10 in the regular season.
Grau was able to go for 68 minutes in the final, scoring a goal and adding an assist and nearly getting another assist on a perfect pass. Ochoa added two goals, including on an amazing header off a corner in which he rose above the entire crowd and banged the ball in.
“I just took flight, hoping I could get to the ball,” Ochoa said.
Grau was devastated when he was hurt.
“I felt a shot in my hamstring. I felt completely sad and frustrated. The difficult part was not being able to help the team,” Grau said.
But he hit rehab hard to get his hamstring healthy enough to play.
“I worked so hard by myself. I did everything I could to be able to help the team. I can’t express how it feels,” he said.
Lettow was a huge part of the team’s success the past two years. He set the tone in the eighth minute, making a diving save to get enough of a hard shot to knock the ball off the post and crossbar. That kept Clark from getting a 1-0 lead right off the bat.
Then, with the Pirates holding on to a 3-0 lead, he made two more spectacular saves late. One on a diving save on a hard shot and the other that required a quick reaction after a corner kick.
“I know if they don’t score, we’re going to score and win,” he said.
Grau had already won a lot of awards for his time with Peninsula. He won North Region MVP two years in a row and the North Offensive Player of the Year after leading the entire NWAC with 19 goals and 50 points. He will likely end up the NWAC Player of the Year when those awards are announced in a few weeks.
“I don’t care about MVP or most goals. Especially here, football, soccer is a team sport. You put the team before you. I’m more happy with the job the team did,” Grau said.
While Ochoa and Kuelo return for spring soccer and next year’s season, Grau and Lettow will move next year to four-year schools.
“I’ve already had some offers, and some are good and exciting. I have to go home and chat with my family and discuss what is best academically and for soccer,” Grau said.
