COLLEGE SOCCER: Peninsula men earn positive result against Edmonds

PORT ANGELES — Spain’s Pau Vivas Ayala notched two first-half goals and Germany’s Tim Deser assisted on two second-half scores as Peninsula College held down Edmonds 4-1.

Vivas Ayala was quick to find the back of the net in Wednesday’s men’s soccer match at Wally Sigmar Field, striking in the sixth minute and breaking up a tie game with a 40th-minute goal for a 2-1 Pirates lead at halftime.

Deser assisted on Alfonso Edfeldt’s 55th-minute goal to put some distance between the two sides, and Deser was there again to assist on Anthony Garcia’s 86th-minute insurance goal.

Peninsula head coach Jake Hughes said a number of things stood out during Wednesday’s win.

“Maturity, our growth over a period of a few weeks, our ability to overcome some obstacles, conceding a goal but still sticking to the plan and capitalizing on chances we created,” Hughes said.

“It was a clear indication of how our team has developed and grown.”

Hughes said his team (6-1-1, 10-1-1) didn’t allow itself a dip in performance against the Tritons (2-5-1, 3-6-1).

“I thought we raised our game in a number of aspects,” Hughes said. “Pau, our forward, got a couple of really clutch goals for us. Shu, our holding midfielder, has lit a fire under himself. And Fernando Tavares worked really hard.

“It was a good team performance.”

Edmonds didn’t field a women’s team this season.

Both the Peninsula women and men will be back in action Saturday at Bellevue.

“Bellevue is physical, organized and aggressive, and I expect it will be a difficult match,” Hughes said.