COLLEGE SOCCER: Peninsula men close out win in style

PORT ANGELES — Midfielder Mason Haubrich scored two goals, including the eventual game-winning penalty kick, as the Peninsula College men’s soccer team triumphed 2-1 over Skagit Valley.

The Pirates (2-0-0, 5-0-0) were in command and took a 1-0 lead into the halftime break on Haubrich’s 26th minute goal off of an assist by Matthew Wilkinson, but the lead could have been larger, according to head coach Jake Hughes.

“First half, I thought we played really well and controlled the game,” Hughes said. “We created a lot of chances and I think we were a little bit guilty of not taking more than just the one goal. Realistically, we can be critical of ourselves and say we should have taken more of the chances and been in firm control entering the second half.”

The Cardinals adjusted at halftime and knotted the score at 1-1 on an Isaac Andrade goal in the 49th minute.

“Skagit came out, made adjustments, put pressure on us in the beginning and got a good early goal,” Hughes said.

Peninsula answered back in the 66th minute.

“We continued to turn the screws and earned a penalty that was well-taken by Mason,” Hughes said.

And the Pirates bore down the rest of the game defensively, with a couple of players standing out in Hughes’ mind for their efforts.

“Two players in my mind — Edgar Tavares, one of our captains, and Chungwan Lee — both worked really hard defensively,” Hughes said.

Hughes also appreciated the performance of forwards Jonathan De Motta and Nico Hernandez and Haubrich’s play in the middle.

“Collectively, a group of individuals that worked hard to produce a strong team effort,” Hughes said.

The Pirates visit Edmonds on Saturday.

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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.