PORT ANGELES — Not everything is on the line when the Peninsula College women’s soccer team hosts Everett this afternoon at Wally Sigmar Field, but it sure feels like it.
The match will likely decide the North Division championship — which comes with a bye in the first round of the Northwest Athletic Conference playoffs, and a quarterfinal match at home in the second round.
In short, the top-seeded team has the shortest path to the NWAC Final Four, which is Nov. 14-15 at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila.
And if all that wasn’t enough, Peninsula coach Kanyon Anderson is going for his 100th
career victory.
Since Anderson is the only coach in the six years of Peninsula College women’s soccer and this is his first college head coaching job, the 100-win milestone also applies to the program.
Anderson’s overall record is 99 wins, 16 losses and 12 ties.
Coming off a 2-0 shutout over Shoreline on Saturday, the Pirates have won nine in a row and lead the NWAC in scoring with 65 goals. They also lead the NWAC in defense, giving up only four.
Peninsula, ranked No. 2 and three points behind Everett in the latest Alaska Airlines NWAC Coaches Poll, sports a 15-1-0 overall record and is 10-1-0 in North Division play. The Pirates’ only loss a 1-0 setback at Everett back on Sept. 16.
The top-ranked Trojans are 12-2-1 overall and 10-1-0 in conference play. They fell to the Pirates 2-1 at Sigmar Field on Oct. 3.
Today’s match, which kicks off at 2 p.m., is the rubber match.
“It’s a tremendous advantage to be home for this one, but I wish it was a Saturday,” said Rick Ross, Associate Dean for Athletics and Student Life at Peninsula College.
“We have such a supportive soccer community, and it’s a tragedy that many of them will be unable to be here for an afternoon match on a weekday.
“It’s a rematch of the last year’s NWAC championship, and it’s just outstanding college women’s soccer.
“Hopefully our fans, and supporters from Everett, will find a way to come.”
The Pirates have a number of goal scorers this year, led by Lexi Krieger, who ranks fifth among the leading scorers in the NWAC with 12 goals.
Ellie Small is coming on strong in the second half of the season with eight goals, Tasha Inong, who has been out with an injury for several weeks, has six, Audrey Barham has five, and Hoku Afong also has five, two of those coming against Everett in their last meeting.
Myu Ban leads the NWAC in assists with 11, Small has eight and Barham, Krieger and Michele Whan each have four.
Goalkeeper Manaia Siania-Unutoa has nine shutouts thus far. The only reason she doesn’t lead the conference in that category is that teammate Cicely Warnick has three. Together, they have 12, which leads the NWAC.
Everett meanwhile, ranks sixth in the NWAC in scoring with 41 goals, but its defense is second only to the Pirates, allowing five goals and recording 11 shutouts.
The Trojans are led by the scoring of Lauren Allison, who ranks third in the NWAC with 14 goals, followed by Bailey McMullen and Kristin Snyder, each with four.
Leading Everett in assists are Ava Mana’o and Anisa Uberuaga, who have five apiece.
Along with Allison, Everett’s biggest impact player is goalkeeper Emily Sorenson, who has 10 shutouts.
Both the Pirates and the Trojans are known for playing a punishing, physical style of soccer.
Men playing, too
The Peninsula men face Everett at 4 p.m. in the second match of a doubleheader.
While the women’s match is a showdown of conference powerhouses, the men’s match is a battle of the haves and have nots — the Pirates have many wins, the Trojans have none (0-10-1, 0-12-1).
Peninsula took another step toward what could be its seventh straight division championship with a 2-0 win over the visiting Shoreline Dolphins on Saturday.
Peninsula, ranked third in the latest Alaska Airlines NWAC Coaches Poll, remains all alone in first place in the North Division with an 8-1-2 record, 10-2-3 overall.
The Pirates are two points ahead of Whatcom (7-1-3, 8-2-3), and 12 points ahead of third-place Edmonds (4-5-2, 4-7-3), with four matches remaining.
Peninsula has outscored Everett 11-3 in their two previous matches this season.
Pirates goalkeeper Nick Johnson leads the NWAC with eight shutouts.
Freshman forward Jonathan Martinez leads the Peninsula and ranks seventh in the conference in overall scoring with 20 points.
Sophomores Eddie Benito and Keo Ponce are tied for ninth in the NWAC with 17 points.
Martinez and Ponce are part of a four-way tie for fifth in the conference with eight goals.
After today, the Pirates play at Skagit Valley on Saturday before returning home for Sophomore Day against Whatcom on Wednesday, Oct. 28, and then closing out their regular season schedule at Edmonds on Halloween.
Tix or clicks
Admission to Peninsula soccer matches is $4 for adults, $2 for seniors, veterans and youth 13-17, and free for those 12 and younger.
The matches also can be streamed live online at www.tinyurl.com/PDN-streamPC.
