WOMEN’S SOCCER: Peninsula’s defense dominates in quarterfinal victory

PORT ANGELES — Missing a key component in defense due to injury, the Peninsula College women’s soccer team’s back line stepped up in all aspects of the Pirates’ 4-0 Northwest Athletic Conference Quarterfinal victory over Bellevue on Saturday at Wally Sigmar Field.

The win sealed the program’s ninth consecutive trip to the NWAC Final Four. Peninsula will face Tacoma at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila on Friday at 12:30 p.m.

With defender Toni Powsey nursing an ankle injury, Pirates’ sophomore Kayla Alcott said the back line knew it had to up it’s games.

“We needed to step up because she is our emotional support back there,” Alcott said. “She is the leader, she’s the one always organizing us back there.”

Alcott was sharp on her service all game long and assisted on two goals, including sending in a corner kick that found fellow defender Tommylia Dunbar for the game’s second goal.

“She’s a big girl, she can do it [score from the back],” Alcott said. “That’s what I look for when I kick free kicks, corner kicks. I look for the biggest person.”

Going forward

Peninsula head coach Kanyon Anderson was enthused about Dunbar’s play and the big goal.

“Tommylia Dunbar was awesome and our whole back line had a great day, but she had to make some tough plays,” Anderson said. “And she scored that fantastic goal. Tommy is so good in the air, it’s cool to get her one off a corner kick.”

The score set of a rowdy celebration by the Pirates’ bench as defenders are tasked with doing the dirty work, butaren’t always able to make such impacts on the other side of the ball.

“You barely get to go up [offensively],” Alcott said. “It was sweet.”

Dunbar’s goal was the second in a three-goal spree for the Pirates that started in the 20th minute.

Moments after Peninsula goalkeeper Andrea Kenagy turned away a Bellevue shot on a breakaway that could have put the Pirates in a 1-0 hole, NWAC leading goal-scorer Sam Oliveira pounced on a short goal kick at the top of the 18-yard box and put Peninsula up — the Bulldogs’ mistake more likely to be seen at the pee-wee rather than collegiate level.

“I’ll take it,” Oliveira said with a smile after the game.

Anderson explained that the goal came from film study.

“They really try to play out of the back with their goal kicks and we talked about how they tried to build out of the back, so we were conscious of what that might look like and we were in the right spot and Sam made a play,” Anderson said.

Sammy Howa added the third Peninsula goal in the 33rd minute off of an accurate Alcott cross into the goal box. Howa scored again in the 90th minute off an assist by Addie Becker for the final margin.

Howa plays as a central defensive midfielder.

“Her primary role was defensive, but she still put the ball in the back of the net twice,” Anderson said. “She’s a hard-working player and it shows you what covering a lot of ground can do. It’s awesome she got two goals today, that’s really cool.”

Anderson said his team was on its game Saturday.

“I think it might have been as good as we’ve played all year and that’s what you want at this time of year,” he said.

“I thought we were great defensively. Bellevue has three very dangerous attacking players —last year’s NWAC-leading goal scorer [Lauren Landis], No. 1 Malia Miller, who was the Alaska player of the year and No. 15 Fatumata Dukureh.”

Kenagy picked up the shutout after making five excellent saves in goal for the Pirates.

“At this point, it’s a matter of ‘Can you win the game?’. So if you do get tested and have to fight through stuff, that’s important.”

And Alcott and the Pirates are looking to add to the program’s legacy with a successful weekend at Starfire starting Friday.

“Last year, since we won NWAC, I just want to go back-to-back. It feels so good to be part of this program because these girls are amazing and the coaches are awesome.”

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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.