PORT ANGELES — What did Port Angeles’ Millie Long do after putting together one of the finest statistical seasons ever produced by a girls soccer player on the North Olympic Peninsula — let alone a freshman?
In her sophomore season, Long scored even more goals than she had in her breakout freshman debut and firmly entrenched herself as the Roughriders’ primary scoring option.
Long totaled 21 goals, third most in program history in a single season, to go with 10 assists and was an All-Olympic League 2A Division first-team selection for Port Angeles (12-7-0).
For all these accomplishments, Long is a repeat pick as the All-Peninsula Girls Soccer MVP as determined by the Peninsula Daily News sports staff.
“I think its that she took matters into her own hands,” Port Angeles coach Scott Moseley said. “She saw the need and was able to get the goals. Maybe its that people were looking to her for that pass [as a freshman], while this year she was the recipient of those passes. She was the seasoned player.”
Long agreed, saying she felt like a veteran in just her second season.
“Last year’s team had so many older, more experienced players,” Long said.
“This year I felt so much older, it felt weird. It felt like a young team.”
Playing with three freshman in the attack in forwards Bailee Larson and Catie Brown and midfielder Mia Gagnon, Long became more and more of an offensive focal point.
“I think there were more seasoned players her freshman year, more options in terms of her passing,” Moseley said. “Working with some of the younger players this year, she was still able to get those players involved and get some assists with them. But people relied more on Millie to get the goals and I think she handled it really well. She stepped up in some really big games.”
Moseley pointed to a 4-3 victory over Klahowya, in which Long had an assist and scored two goals, including the game winner, in a win over a team that would end up finishing third in the Class 1A state tournament.
“Probably the highlight was her getting the game winner against Klahowya,” Moseley said. “A big goal in the last minute against a top team. A beautiful goal when we we looked like we were headed for a tie game and she’s able to make a play and get a goal for us.”
Long said she didn’t “feel freaked out” in that moment.
“I forgot how much time was left in the game,” Long said. “I wasn’t too stressed out about it.”
And he also said Long scored two goals in a 3-2 win over Olympic.
“I think she became more of that option, that primary scoring option, for us,” Moseley said.
“I think that her individual skill picked up, she had a number of goals and assists based on really quick touches and was skillful enough to beat the other team’s top players.
”It wasn’t Millie taking it down and cranking a shot. It was making couple of moves and beating a goalie with some really skillful play.”
Despite all her successes offensively, Long said she came close, but didn’t meet her personal goals for the season.
“My goal was to get more goals and assists than I did last year,” Long said. “I got more goals, but had less assists [15 as a freshman]. So I was excited in the goals and a little disappointed in the number of assists.”
Moseley said Long sets high expectations and demands the best from herself at all times.
“She sets a really high standard for herself because she wants to be successful all the time,” Moseley said.
That level of drive is an admirable and necessary quality in high-performing athletes for sure, but it also can be a little draining. But Long said she has support.
“I’d say I’m a little hard on myself because I do set high expectations,” Long said. “But I have my teammates if I get down to lift me up. And the coaches talk to me to get me out of my head. Sometimes that can be a joke, or sometimes it’s more direct [advice].”
And Moseley said he expects Long to continue to grow as a player and a leader going forward.
“I did ask her to be one of our captains next year,” Moseley said. “People really respect her for her hard work. And she’s pretty no nonsense. She wants to do well and be successful.”
2018 All-Peninsula Girls Soccer Team
MVP: Millie Long, So., Port Angeles
Goalkeeper: Olivia Hare, So., Sequim
Forwards: Daisy Ryan, Jr., Sequim; Bailee Larson, Fr., Port Angeles; Grace Johnson, Sr., Chimacum
Midfielders: Kyrsten McGuffey, Sr., Port Angeles; Delaney Wenzl, Jr., Port Angeles; Jessica Dietzman, Jr., Sequim
Defenders: Gabby Happe, Jr., Sequim; Lucah Folden, Jr., Port Angeles; Yana Hoesel, Sr., Sequim; Bella Money, Sr., Port Angeles
Coach of the Year: Sequim’s Derek Vandervelde guided a Wolves squad that rallied from an 0-6 start in Olympic League 2A play to make the playoffs, win the West Central District Tournament and eventually earn the program’s first girls soccer state tournament berth.
