PORT ANGELES — The Peninsula College women’s soccer team scored its first goal while playing its first home game in history at Civic Field on Thursday.
The women lost a 2-1 heartbreaker to Whatcom Community College of Bellingham while the Peninsula men’s soccer team settled for an 0-0 tie with Whatcom at Civic.
But it was the women’s game that drew the most attention and the most excitement.
Neeya Hansen, a Port Angeles native, got the first-ever recorded goal for the Peninsula College women’s program, assisted by the other Port Angeles native, Michelle Groshong.
Hansen’s goal came in the 69th minute that tied the score 1-1.
Whatcom scored first in the 45th minute in the first half of the nonleague game, and later shot the game-winner in the 80th minute.
Whatcom’s first goal was on a penalty kick that was the result of a handball in the box by the Pirates.
Peninsula played one of the top teams in the NWAACC North Division and was close to coming away with a tie.
“We had two breakdowns in the game and unfortunately it cost us two goals,” Peninsula women’s coach Kanyon Anderson said.
Ashley Manker had three saves for the Pirates in goal while the two teams were even in shots on goal with eight each.
Peninsula men 0, Whatcom 0
The men’s game also was balanced with both teams getting eight shots on goal each and the contest ending in an 0-0 deadlock.
Peninsula goalkeepers Alec Risk and Jared Wilson had three saves apiece.
The game saw lots of action from both teams, and each team had great opportunities to score.
“We are still trying to figure things out right now but it is great to see our defense not give up a goal and to have two goalkeepers get shutouts,” Peninsula men’s coach Andrew Chapman said.
Next, the Peninsula women play at Edmonds on Sunday at noon, and the Pirate men play at Vancouver on Tuesday against Edmonds.
The next home games will be the men at Civic on Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. and the women at Civic on Sept. 12 at 11 a.m. for their first league games of the season.