COLLEGE SOCCER: Peninsula men come up clutch in stoppage time

PORT ANGELES — Peninsula College delivered at the depths, scoring two stoppage-time goals to break open a tie game and stay unbeaten on the season in a 5-3 NWAC North Division men’s soccer contest on Wednesday at Wally Sigmar Field.

Peninsula tied the score at 3-all in the 62nd minute when the ball was worked from left to right around the goal box and Issei Fujiwara sent an expertly placed cross into the center of the goal mouth and onto the foot of the Pirates’ Konrad Mueller for his second goal of the match.

“Konrad is in a rich vein of form right now,” coach Jake Hughes said. “He has five goals in last three or four games.”

In stoppage time, a Bellevue possession deep in Peninsula territory quickly went up the field in the Pirates’ direction on a clearance pass to Grau near midfield. Grau turned his defender and lofted a pass ahead of fellow striker Austin Collins. Collins turned to gather the ball, then raced upfield into the goal box and was taken down while attempting to back his defender down earning a Peninsula penalty kick.

Grau confidently took the penalty, slamming it to his right and past diving Bellevue goalkeeper Mason Duarte and setting off a celebration with players, students and fans in the southeast corner of Sigmar Field.

“Austin Collins deserves his plaudits, he earned that penalty,” Hughes said. “And Nil confidently took that penalty.

When the match restarted, Peninsula put a bow on the contest with an insurance goal.

With the Pirates in full defensive mode sending all their players back behind the midfield stripe, Grau pounced on a loose ball on the right sideline and lofted the ball back toward the Bellevue goalkeeper. Duarte misjudged the ball, which had enough pace to get behind him and onto the foot of Collins who tapped the ball in net for the insurance score.

“Nil to Austin for the fifth goal and he outworked the opponent and was able to beat the goalkeeper,” Hughes said. “It was a good feeling to have it wrapped before the final whistle.”

Peninsula found themselves trailing by two goals after the first 22 minutes but equalized on scores by Jeremie Kuelo (assisted by Grau) in the 33rd and Mueller (Edwin Diaz) in the 43rd minutes.

“Honestly we started a little flat, our performance and intensity was a little flat and that impacted the game,” Hughes said.

“A couple of errors led to the two goals and before you know it you are two goals down against a good team. We made a couple of changes, partly forced due to injury, and juggling some players around in formation. It would have been quite easy to break and fold but we bent and showed good resilience.”

Pirates goalkeeper Laurin Lettow had four saves in net.

Peninsula (7-0-0, 10-0-0) hosts Skagit Valley on Wednesday.

________

Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at sports@peninsuladailynews.com.