PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles’ Millie Long earned NWAC North Region Women’s Soccer MVP and men’s coach Jake Hughes captured Coach of the Year honors in All-Region voting conducted by coaches this week.
Long finished tied for second in the entire NWAC with 19 goals and five assists, good enough for 43 overall points despite playing in 12 games, 10 fewer than leading scorer Kya Scott of Tacoma. Peninsula played fewer contests in the North Region because Edmonds did not field a team and Whatcom forfeited against the Pirates.
Midfielder teammates Kenzie Banner and Chiaki Takase joined Long on the All-Region team.
Takase scored five goals and had four assists while marshaling the Pirates’ midfield as a sophomore.
Banner, also a sophomore, added four goals and an assist.
Sophomore defender Rylee Sims (one goal and one assist) and goalkeeper Frida Markstrom also made the All-Region squad. Markstrom had four shutouts in 10 games in goal.
Honorable mention selections for Peninsula included freshman forward Briana Jean Tanaka (nine goals, five assists); freshman midfielder Taya Bohenko (two goals, six assists) and freshman defender Keilee Silva (one goal).
Skagit Valley’s Tony Savoy took Coach of the Year honors.
Men’s selections
Hughes earned his second NWAC North Region Coach of the Year honor after guiding Peninsula through the gaunlet of league play to the region championship and had five Pirates make the All-Region squad.
Peninsula’s All-Region picks were forward Pau Vivas Ayala, fourth in the NWAC in goals scored with 14, and fellow forward Fernando Tavares (four goals and eight assists, good for fourth in the NWAC).
Sophomore midfielders Shu Kato (three goals, five assists) and Tim Deser (one goal, four assists) also earned All-Region honors.
Peninsula’s sophomore defender Dylan Pauw (four goals) also made the All-Region team.
Honorable mention selections for the Pirates were freshman forward Inchun Hun (five goals, six assists), sophomore defender Alfonso Santos de Cruz (three goals, two assists) and sophomore defender Yusaku Shimakura (one goal, three assists).
North Region All-Stars will play in the NWAC All-Star games at 9 a.m. (women’s) and 11 a.m. (men’s) Sunday at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at mcarman@ peninsuladailynews.com.
KEITH THORPE/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS Peninsula’s Pau Vivas outruns Edmonds’ Maka Mahureva on Wednesday at Wally Sigmar Field in Port Angeles.
