BOYS SOCCER: Sequim dispatches improved Port Angeles

PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles showed marked improvement from an early-season loss to Sequim, but the Wolves made it clear who rules the Rainshadow Rivalry this year with a 4-1 win over the Roughriders on Saturday at Wally Sigmar Field.

The win kept Sequim unbeaten at 8-0 and ran the Wolves’ Olympic League winning streak to 24 games dating back to April 2018.

“PA was for sure [improved],” Sequim coach Ken Garling said. “I told our boys that PA would come out inspired and wanting to play hard to protect their home field, and we knew we were in a for a tough one. That first 15-20 minutes, they kinda had the run of play and dictated some things.”

Sequim broke through for a goal in the ninth minute, when Eli Gish booted a strike from just outside the 18-yard box that was assisted by Kristian Mingoy.

“Their first goal was against the run of play,” Port Angeles coach Chris Saari said. “We cleared it to the middle, and we made a couple of mistakes defensively. We were in the game, we passed the ball better and we looked like a real soccer team.”

Sequim took control with a 26th-minute score when Ethan Anderson found Ethan Knight, who sent the ball through Riders’ goalkeeper Logan Desser’s legs to the far post.

Up 2-0 at halftime, Sequim added a third score when Port Angeles couldn’t clear a corner kick and the ball rattled around to Rafael Flores in the 54th minute.

The Riders (3-5) struggled to string passes together and keep possession the first time around against Sequim, but they were much more competitive this time around.

Josiah Long scored on a centered ball from the right side from Zak Alton just past the 60-minute mark to put Port Angeles within striking distance.

Saari said Hayden Desser played a good ball up the sideline to set up the play.

“I thought Dayton [Williams] played well,” Saari said.

Williams threatened on a number of occasions, including what Saari described as “a well-struck, long-range shot that was just a couple feet above the cross bar and a free kick that also went above the bar. Dayton had a couple driven long balls into the middle that were perfectly placed at the foot of his teammates.”

Saari also praised his team’s passing.

“I thought we passed the ball as good as we have all season,” he said. “It was good to see us move the ball around, get it wide at times and play decent soccer.”

The only complaint about Sequim’s play in the first game with the Riders was a lack of scoring in the second half.

“We didn’t have the finishing edge we needed,” Gish said of the first game. “We’ve been working on conditioning and finishing in the final third, and we have started to get more goals that way.

“Our pressure really helped in the second half to get goals and put it to bed.”

Sequim didn’t allow Port Angeles any good looks on goal in the final third of the game, and Flores added an insurance goal with a header off a corner kick in stoppage time.

“Second half, Rafael Flores took over and had both the goals,” Garling said. “He got a head on [the second goal]. I think it was his man bun that touched it.”

Saari said his team will work to improve defensively to take away offensive chances that come about as a result of defensive lapses.

“We have to clean up a few things on defense to be more bend not break,” Saari said. “We were in the game for most of it, had some chances, just need to keep that as the focus.”

Sequim hosts Olympic on Monday for senior night, while Port Angeles hosts Olympic on Tuesday night.