TUKWILA — Grace Johnson, a 2019 Chimacum High School graduate, notched a goal as the Peninsula College women’s soccer team opened its season with a win Thursday.
The Pirates earned a 3-1 win over Clark College at the season-kickoff NWAC Friendlies at Starfire Sports Complex in a rematch of Peninsula’s 2-0 win over the Penguins in the 2018 Northwest Athletic Conference championship final.
Peninsula head coach Kanyon Anderson said his team’s performance was 90 percent positive, with the remaining 10 percent needing a fix.
“We’ve played four games in five days, including two scrimmages against the Canadian equivalent of an [NCAA] Division I-team,” Anderson said. “We really kind of had a bad second half [against Clark]. We scored after the kickoff and then really dragged as we went along. I’m hoping that’s not a fitness thing, but more from fatigue.
“We were up 3-0 and off to a great start and then kind of ran out of gas a little bit. That’s what I hope happened, anyway, and we can recover for [Spokane].”
Peninsula will face Spokane today at 2 p.m. at Starfire.
Johnson put the Pirates on the board first in Thursday’s game, scoring on a goal assisted by Tommylia Dunbar in the 23rd minute.
“That’s the second goal she has scored for us, she scored one up in Canada,” Anderson said. “She’s a clever, mature player. She’s technical, she works hard and is calm.
“The goal she got, a lot of players would have rushed it. She let it settle and she knew she could take a breath and shoot it.”
Six minutes later, Anderson said Sam Oliveira assisted on Miya Clarke’s goal.
“Grace played the corner [kick ] and Sam got a touch on the ball before [Clarke’s final touch],” Anderson said.
Peninsula’s third score came just after halftime when Oliveira, the team’s leading scorer in 2018, tallied an unassisted goal.
“I liked the goals that we scored and our effort and energy right off the bat was great,” Anderson said.
He said the momentum changed in the game’s final 30 minutes, with Clark building up steam before getting on the scoreboard.
“They put a lot of pressure on us and we weren’t organized and had trouble breaking out effectively,” Anderson said. “That’s when they got a lot of those shots [on goal].”
Clark’s late goal in the 86th minute was the only blemish on the day for Pirates’ goalkeeper Chloe Keenan-Merlo. Keenan-Merlo posted 11 saves in net for Peninsula.
Men’s Soccer
Peninsula 2, Highline 1
TUKWILA — Hide Inoue and Teppei Teramoto scored goals for the Pirates as they opened the regular season with a win on the Thunderbirds’ home field on Thursday afternoon.
“We played well offensively, creating chances off of good defensive play,” Peninsula coach Jake Hughes said.
Inoue’s unassisted goal came in the 35th minute.
Teramoto added the insurance score off of an assist by Theodore Baiye in the 71st minute.
Peninsula allowed an 80th minute score off of a set piece, but the Pirates defense held to preserve the win.
“We showed good character fighting them off in the end,” Hughes said.
Evan Scholes made four saves in goal in the win.
Peninsula faces Spokane today at noon.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
Courtesy Peninsula College Athletics Peninsula’s Teppei Teramoto, left, vies for the ball with a Highline player Thursday at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila. The Pirates opened the season with a 2-1 win over the T-Birds.
