MOUNT VERNON — Peninsula College clinched its first-ever North Division men’s soccer championship with a 2-1 over Skagit Valley.
The Pirates have amassed many Northwest Athletic Conference titles, but this is their first as a member of the North Division.
It is also the first championship for first-year head coach Cale Rodriguez.
The Peninsula women blasted and blanked Skagit Valley 10-0 on Saturday and are now one victory away from officially locking down their fifth consecutive division title.
In combination with Saturday’s win over the Cardinals, the Peninsula men’s title was secured when Whatcom tied with Edmonds 1-1.
The Pirates are 10-1-2 in the North (12-2-3 overall) and have 32 points. Whatcom is seven points behind (7-2-4, 8-3-4) with two matches remaining.
Jonathan Martinez scored both of Peninsula’s goals, one in the seventh minute off an assist by Jonathan Vasquez, and the other in the 46th minute to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.
Eddie Benito, who returned from an injury after missing Wednesday’s win over Everett, set up Martinez’s second score.
Martinez is tied with Keo Ponce for the team lead in goals scored with 10. Martinez leads Peninsula and ranks fourth in the NWAC with 25 points.
Obed Camacho scored in the 56th minute for Skagit Valley, but the Pirates’ defense held firm the remainder of the match.
The division title means Peninsula will have a bye in the first round of the NWAC playoffs.
The Pirates will then host a quarterfinal match Saturday, Nov. 7.
Women’s Match
Peninsula 10, Skagit Valley 0
Myu Ban’s third goal of the season opened the floodgates as the Pirates improved to 12-1-0 in North play and 17-1-0 overall.
Ban, who leads the NWAC in assists with 12, scored in the seventh minute off an assist by Tasha Inong.
Inong made it 2-0 when she scored the first of her three goals in the 16th minute.
It was Inong’s second game back on the pitch since suffering an injury the kept her on the bench for most of October.
She was one of two players to make a triumphant return.
“Tasha Inong returned from injury this week and scored a hat trick,” Peninsula coach Kanyon Anderson said. “She has nine goals in very limited minutes.
“Bailie Zuber, who has been out since having her appendix removed, had a solid 90 minutes at center back.”
Hoku Afong scored two goals and set up two more, including Inong’s first goal. Afong’s first goal came in the 17th minute off an assist by Lexi Krieger.
Krieger, the Pirates’ leading scorer with 32 points, which ranks seventh in the conference, then scored her team-leading 13th goal in the 21st minute to give second-ranked Peninsula a 4-0 lead over last-place Skagit Valley.
The Pirates should move up from No. 2 to No. 1 in the next NWAC Coaches’ Poll, which comes out Thursday.
Peninsula has won two in a row over current No. 1 Everett, including a 2-1 victory last Wednesday, and the other two teams receiving first-place votes, Spokane and Highline, have each suffered losses since the last poll was released.
“We lead the league in every major category: wins, goals for, goals against and shutouts,” Anderson said.
The Pirates added another goal before halftime, this one by Paige Mahuka in the 39th minute. Bri Jackson-Vallente delivered the first of her two assists on the play.
Inong scored her other two goals in the second half, and Afong, Olivia Moore and Michele Whan each added one apiece after halftime.
Krieger added her second assist of the match on Afong’s secod goal.
Kameryn Jury-Hale also had an assist for the Pirates.
Manaia Siania-Unutoa made two saves and recorded her 10th shutout.
“We played well on a fast grass field,” Anderson said.
“We were able to get the ball down to our feet and move it quickly, and once we found a gap in the defense we were able to get at the goal with purpose.”
Two games left
The Peninsula women need three points to claim the North Division crown. They can earn those three points with a win at home over Whatcom (6-7-0, 7-8-0) on Wednesday at 2 p.m.
The Pirates finish the regular season at Edmonds (3-9-1, 4-10-2) this Saturday.
The Peninsula women also will host a NWAC quarterfinal match Nov. 7.
The Peninsula men face second-place Whatcom at Wally Sigmar Field on Wednesday at 4 p.m., and then play at Edmonds on Saturday.
The Pirates ranked third in the NWAC men’s poll but should receive a bump up this week because No. 1 Highline and No. 2 Tacoma face off the day before the poll is released.
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Compiled using coaches’ and NWAC statistical reports.
