PORT ANGELES — Facing a high-powered Sequim boys soccer team that had scored 28 goals in its first five games, the Port Angeles defense clamped down and shut out the rival Wolves 3-0 for a crucial league win.
Tuesday’s victory puts the Roughriders at 3-1 in Olympic League 2A Division play, in third place one-half game behind Kingston. Sequim fell to 2-2 in league, a game behind Port Angeles. The two evenly matched teams will meet again April 28.
It was the second straight shutout for the Riders, who have given up just three goals in their past five matches.
Port Angeles got two goals from Ben Schneider, one on a penalty kick. Grayson Peet also scored a goal and drew the penalty that led to Schneider’s second goal.
The Wolves played much of the match without their leading scorer, Liam Harris, who came into the rivalry with 12 goals on the season. Harris hurt his leg on a collision with a Riders’ player. He tried to come back into the game a couple of times and wasn’t able to go, sitting out almost all of the second half of the match.
Port Angeles coach Chris Saari said overall his team played well and said the Riders caught a break when Harris went down.
Saari said Schneider was his best offensive player of the night, Peet his best transition player and that Hollund Bailey was the defensive player of the game. He also said Stuart Methner played a big role coming off the bench.
“Stuart gave us a big spark,” he said.
Sequim coach Dave Brasher wasn’t making excuses about Harris’ injury.
“That happens in soccer all the time,” he said. “We had plenty of chances.”
Brasher said he was happy with how the Wolves played in the first half. He said he made some adjustments in the second half “but we didn’t want to show [Port Angeles] all of our tricks.”
The Wolves had plenty of opportunities early. Sequim dominated the first 20 minutes of the match, with the Riders defenders on their heels and the ball deep in the Port Angeles end most of that time.
Sequim had a couple of near misses on shots by Harris and Addison Berg, but couldn’t break through for a score.
Then, Harris came tantalizingly close to a goal on a near-perfect free kick from beyond 30 yards. The ball bounced high off the hands of Riders keeper Lorenzo DeLaTorre, and went off the crossbar.
The Wolves appeared to knock a rebound into the net, but interference with the goalie was called on a collision in the penalty area.
After all that Sequim pressure early, Port Angeles countered to finally break up the 0-0 deadlock near the end of the first half on a great goal by Schneider.
From a sharp angle on the left wing, a shot by Schneider got past the hands of diving Wolves goalkeeper Nick Janikic and slowly trickled into the side of the net.
As much as the Wolves dominated the first half, Port Angeles controlled the second half. The Riders had two near goals from Jesse Salgado and Peet, then in the 66th minute, Peet drew a foul in the penalty area, resulting in a penalty kick goal by Schneider.
Sequim had a golden opportunity to get back in it when a foul was called on Port Angeles just outside the penalty area, resulting in a point-blank free kick just outside the box. Michael McAleer’s free kick just went wide of the left post by inches and the Riders kept hold of their two-goal lead.
Peet picked up the third goal of the match in the 73rd minute with some nice passing in the Wolves’ end between himself and Salgado. Andrew St. George got the assist on a cross that went back to Peet for a goal.
The Riders (4-2, 3-1) play again on the road at 6:45 p.m. Friday at North Mason. The Wolves (3-2-1, 2-2) play at Kingston at 6:45 p.m. Friday.
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Sports Editor Pierre LaBossiere can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or plabossiere@peninsuladailynews.com.
