SEQUIM — The Sequim soccer team got a crucial shutout victory to remain in the Olympic League playoff hunt, beating Rainshadow Rumble rival Port Angeles 1-0.
Goalkeeper Nolan Valenzuela earned the shutout for the Wolves, making a number of big saves to preserve the shutout.
Port Angeles remains in third place in the Olympic League with a record of 7-5. The win gave the Wolves a record of 6-7 in league, vaulting past North Mason, which lost 7-0 Friday night to North Kitsap to drop to 5-8 in league.
The schedule is favorable for both Sequim and Port Angeles in the final week of league.
Sequim’s Colten Anderson (23) battles for a loose ball with Port Angeles’ Jake Weaver on Friday night in Sequim. The Wolves won 1-0. (Emily Mathiessen/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
Port Angeles, 9-6 overall, has two games left, both at home and both against teams in the bottom half of the standings — Olympic and Bremerton. Sequim has a very tough home game left at home against North Kitsap (11-2, 12-3). But, fortunately for Sequim, North Mason is playing at unbeaten league champion Bainbridge (13-0, 15-0) on Tuesday, so it appears that the Wolves don’t have to win Tuesday’s game to remain all alone in fourth place.
“It was a hard fought game on both sides as it always is when Sequim and Port Angeles meet up,” said Port Angeles coach Chris Saari. “Sequim put more pressure on the Riders in the second half compared to the first half.”
Moments after Port Angeles’ Matthew Miller had a golden opportunity on a blistering shot from close range that Valenzuela was in perfect position for, Sequim finally broke the 0-0 tie in the 59th when the Port Angeles defense made a bad clear to Sequim’s Evan Cisneros. Cisneros ended up all alone unmarked with the ball just outside the box and calmly kicked the ball to the top of the net past Gus Halberg’s outstretched hands.
“The Riders pushed players forward for the last 20 minutes of the game to try and equalize but couldn’t score after multiple chances, corner kicks and free kicks,” Saari said.
Miller had another great chance with a perfect, slicing shot from 17 to 18 yards out late in the second half, but Valenzuela dove to his left and tipped the ball with his outstretched hand. He caught just enough of the ball that it went off the crossbar and stayed out.
“Defender Jackson Wyall was outstanding for PA all night long. He won almost every ball that came near him on the ground and in the air. He was consistently beating his opponent to the ball and breaking up plays,” Saari said. “Sawyer Davis also made some big defensive plays for the Riders at the defensive central midfield position.”
Saari named Wyall his defensive player of the match and Sawyer Davis his transition player of the night.
Port Angeles’ game against Olympic (4-8, 4-9) will begin at 6:45 p.m. It will be the Riders’ second game at the new Monroe field. The Riders finish their season hosting Bremerton (4-9, 4-11) at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday with this game at Wally Sigmar Field at Peninsula College.
Sequim hosts North Kitsap at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Port Angeles and Sequim expect to learn their playoff seeding Thursday.
