PORT ANGELES — The Peninsula College women’s soccer team is ranked No. 1 in the latest NWAC coaches poll while the men are ranked No. 4.
The women (3-0-1), the defending NWAC champions, got 154 points in the poll completed late last week, while tied for second are Lower Columbia and perennial power Highline. Highline and Peninsula have met several times in recent years in the NWAC championship game.
Ranked No. 4 is Spokane, which tied the Peninsula women 3-3 in the opening game of the year. However, ranked No. 6 is North Idaho, whom the Pirates crushed 4-0 last week.
The Peninsula men (5-1-0) are in a brutal North Region. Ranked No. 2 is Everett, which beat the Pirates 4-2 early this month. Whatcom, which has turned into one of the Pirates’ toughest North rivals, is ranked No. 3. Peninsula and Whatcom play in Port Angeles on Saturday.
Skagit Valley, another North Region team, is ranked No. 7. Four out of the top seven ranked teams in the NWAC are in the North.
Highline is ranked No. 5. The Pirates beat Highline 2-1 late last month. Rogue is ranked No. 10. Peninsula beat Rogue 7-0 early in the season.
Peninsula got 75 votes for its fourth-place ranking. Columbia Basin is ranked No. 1.