VANCOUVER — As expected, Peninsula College, which dominated the North Region in men’s and women’s soccer during the regular season, also dominated the all-North selections.
The women got five players named to the first team and another two to the second team. The men also got five to the first team and two on the second team.
Leading the way for the Pirates were Nil Grau for the men and Shawna Larson for the women, who were named the men’s and women’s North MVPs.
Both Grau and Larson led the entire Northwest Athletic Conference in points. Grau led the NWAC in goals (18) and assists (11) for 47 total points, easily outdistancing the 38 points from Highline’s Leon Tezuka. He was also named the North offensive player of the year.
Unfortunately for the Pirates, Grau tore his hamstring last week and is out. Peninsula rallied to dominate Tacoma 3-0 in the NWAC quarterfinals this weekend without him.
Grau was also the North Region MVP in 2023.
Larson also led the NWAC in points, despite only playing in 12 regular-season games, while most of the teams in the NWAC played between 14 and 18 games. The Pirates had a low number of games this year because Shoreline did not field a team and some of their preseason games were exhibitions, in which the stats don’t count toward league totals.
Larson tallied 13 goals, second in the NWAC, and eight assists, which led the league for 34 points. She was also named the North offensive player of the year.
Joining Grau on the first team was forward Ezrah Ochoa, who had 11 goals and six assists for 28 points, ninth in the NWAC.
Midfielder Konrad Mueller made the first team, as did defensive player Jeremie Kuelo and goalkeeper Laurin Lettow. Lettow, who had three shutouts this season, was named the North defensive player of the year, as well.
Making the North second team were midfielder Noe Garfias and forward Sid Gunton-Day.
Joining Larson on the first team was forward Shiori Shintaku, who likewise had a big offensive year with 12 goals, third-best in the NWAC, and 26 points, fifth-best in the conference.
Two of Peninsula’s outstanding defensive backs, Evee Stoddard and Gemma Rowland, also made first team. They were a big part of the fact that Peninsula had 10 shutouts, allowed just 176 shots, second-best in the NWAC and allowed only four goals all season, tops in the NWAC. Stoddard also got the additional award as North defensive player of the year.
Rowland and Larson made first-team all-North two years in a row.
Making the second team were forward Risa Nishida, who had 10 goals and midfielder Anna Petty. Petty, a Port Angeles High School graduate, is out for the rest of this year unfortunately after having surgery on her knee.
Men’s coach Jake Hughes and women’s coach Kanyon Anderson were also named the North coaches of the year.
Both teams won their NWAC quarterfinals this year and are playing Friday in the NWAC semifinals. The women (13-0-0) will be in a battle of the unbeatens as they play their latest nemesis Spokane (10-0-4) at 1:30 p.m. at the Starfire Soccer Complex in Tukwila (Spokane has beaten the Pirates twice in the postseason the past two years). The men (13-1-2) play Walla Walla (15-2-4) at 6:30 p.m.
